Ten Years
by Metallic Snow
Summary: Sometimes, not every guy you meet is perfect. I, Lucy Heartfilia, learned that the hard way. I never thought falling in love would be this hard. I didn't think these feelings would last even after ten years. I didn't think of the consequences at all. My feelings still linger and... it still hurts. I still love you… Natsu.
1. Strangers, Again

What does it mean to have a "happily ever after"? Do they really exist…? I wish I was a princess. I too wish to have what they call a "happily ever after" just like those Disney princesses in those movies. No matter what happened, everything always worked out in the end for them. But in reality, not everything works out. Eventually everything will end… even… love.

I was a freshmen in high school. It was a new school, new environment, new everything. It was fun, but… to be honest, I kind of missed my old middle school, especially since the academics were so much easier there. But what I missed the most was… the old Natsu Dragneel.

Back in middle school, Natsu used to follow me everywhere. No matter where I was, he was always there, and no matter where he was, I was always there. We were inseparable… and best of friends. Every year on my birthday, he would give me presents, on Christmas too. And whenever he went on vacations, he always remembered to give me a souvenir. And he texted me everyday. There wasn't one day where we never texted each other.

Now that I think about it, when I first met Natsu in sixth grade, I hated him so much. To me, he was the most annoying jerk I ever met. We sat next to each other in math class. We were always arguing during that class. I don't remember how all that hate turned into the best of friends, but… I'm glad it did.

One time, on my birthday, I had totally forgotten about it, due to stress and many things that were going on at the time. I was at my locker like any usual day and took out my supplies for my next class when suddenly, I saw an arm hover over my hand and place something in my locker, a little keychain of one of my favorite character in this television show, Happy. "Happy birthday..." the person said silently.

I turned around to see that the person was Natsu. "Huh?" I said. "It's my birthday?"

"Yeah, I think so," Natsu said. "Unless I got the day wrong..." He took out his phone and showed it to me. "June first, right?"

Slowly, I nodded with wide eyes. "T-Thanks... Natsu..." I said. "But, how did you know? I never told you..."

"It's not a big deal..." Natsu replied as he scratched his head. "Um... anyway... happy birthday... I guess."

I guess one of the best memories I had with him would be the field trip my middle school had for the graduating class, my grade. My class went to a festival at a shrine. I was at a booth, trying to win this cute keychain hanging on the shelf. It was so adorable, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't win it. I know that this scene seems so cliche but… it was an important moment to me… My friends were all laughing at me because I couldn't win it after almost fifteen tries.

"Psh, Lucy just give up already!" my friend Erza snickered. "This kind of thing is so not your style."

"Shut up, Erza!" I replied. I lifted up the toy gun again, attempting to shoot down the keychain. "I'm going to get this keychain no matter what! You just watch!"

I pressed the trigger and again I missed. I sighed. Maybe my friends were right. Games like this weren't really my thing anyway.

After a few more tries, I left the booth and decided to go get food at the festival instead. It was a ton of fun. Tasting the sweet caramel apples, getting our fortunes checked, the joyful expressions my friends had on their faces, it was marvelous.

When it was time to go, I walked to the school bus to spot Natsu, waiting at the front of the bus. "Hey Natsu!" I said with a bright smile. "Aren't you going to get in the bus?"

"Um.. yeah," he replied. Suddenly, he shoved his right hand into my hands, placing something small and soft there. "Here, I won this, but I don't really want it, so you can have it." Then, quickly, he ran into the school bus, his hair covering the expression on his face.

I looked at the what he put in my hands, laughed, and smiled. It was that keychain from that booth! I wondered how did he knew that I was trying to win this or was it just a simple coincidence. I wasn't sure but I was happy either way. It was kinda odd though. Knowing Natsu, he really sucked at games like those. "Thank you…" I whispered as I hugged the little keychain.

When the bus got to the school, one of Natsu's friends, Rogue Cheney, came to my seat and whispered something in my ear. "Hey," he whispered. "Don't tell Natsu I told you this but, actually he was watching you the whole time when you were at the booth. And once you left, he tried over twenty times, trying to win you that doll." Then he smiled at me, winked, and put his finger to his lips. "Sh… don't tell him!"

That was the first time I felt that I fell in love with Natsu. My heart was pumping crazily and my face was the darkest red it had ever been in years. I don't know… Love happens when one least expects it I guess. It's like, one day you don't love them, and the next, you kind of just wake up, saying, "Oh god. I think I'm in love with him."

After graduation, I was walking around in my gown, talking to some people, maybe for the last time. It was sad, yet it was also exciting. I guess the word to describe it is "bitter-sweet". However, it didn't really feel like graduation. It felt like I was going to be back at school the next day like normal. No one really cried during the graduation.

As I walked around, I felt a tug on my gown. I turned around to see Natsu. "Hey!" I exclaimed. Natsu got accepted into the same high school as me. It was called Fairy High, the most elite high school in our area. Only the smartest people could get in. The school was also the biggest in area in the city.

"Um… Lucy…" Natsu said. He bit his lip and looked into my chocolate brown eyes with his jet black ones. "I… um… Promise me that… even if we get separated in high school… promise me… you'll always stay my friend…"

I laughed and gave him a tight hug. "Are you stupid? Of course I'll always be your friend… You are one of the most important people to me after all..."

"Yeah…" he replied as he hugged me back. "Thanks…"

After that, we hung out a lot in the summer. I saw him at least once a week. I used to hate summer vacation unlike many students my age. It was because to me, it was boring. I didn't hang out with my friends much during vacation, mostly because my parents were a bit overprotective of me and didn't let me go anywhere.

But now, I didn't want summer to end. I loved the summer. I hung out with friends almost everyday of the week now that I was old enough to my parents to hang out. It was so much fun. Then… at the end of summer, a week before the first day of high school, Natsu… made a sudden confession to me.

I was just texting him like normal and he was talking about how this girl he liked would never notice how much he liked her, no matter how much he tried.

**Natsu**: Like, there's this girl with straight blond hair who won't understand how much I like her. She's totally dense. I liked her since seventh grade too.

**Me**: That sucks. Lol, I have straight blond hair too. I'll help you! After all, we are best friends, right?

**Natsu**: She always friendzones me without even knowing she did. Like, she just did it again.

When he first told me about this crush, I was just so… upset. I wanted to cry. It just made me so… broke? I don't know how to describe it. It was as if I got indirectly rejected. After that conversation, I changed the subject, talking about our fandoms and stuff like that. Discussing his crush was just too much for me. Suddenly, he texted me this:

**Natsu**: You know that you're the only person I know with straight blond hair right?

**Me**: Really? That's cool.

**Natsu**: Ugh. Why is this happening to me…

At first I didn't understand that he was directing that message the conversation he was having with me before. It wasn't until he told me about how many clues he leaves her that he likes her, before he told me about… that.

**Me**: I don't know! Just confess directly to her, if she's that clueless.

**Natsu**: Erm… now?

**Me**: Yeah, why not?

**Natsu**: Oh my god Lucy.

**Me**: Just do it. You're a cool person… there's no way a girl would ever reject you… After all, you are one of the most popular guys at school…

**Natsu**: OH MY GOD LUCY. GET THE IDEA ALREADY. I love you.

He told me that about one in the morning. When he typed that, my face went from pale white to crimson red. My heart pounded like crazy and it felt as though my heart was trying to escape out of my chest. I replied that I also loved him back and we decided to be in a mutual relationship; however, it was a secret. Only our closest friends knew about our relationship. For example, Natsu's best friend, Sting Eucliffe, knew about us. Most people didn't however. I don't know, it was an embarrassing thing to announce I guess.

We were just inseparable… until high school happened.

On the first day of high school, I found out I had one class with him, English. However, the teacher had me sitting on one side of the room and him on the other. We couldn't talk to each other at all. It felt as though we weren't even in the same class. However, I still talked to him in the hallway before class started, but that was only for one to three minutes. Other than that, I never got contact with him at school. Like I said before, my new high school, Fairy High, was the biggest high school in area size in the city.

I don't know when it started, but slowly, the conversations we had on text started getting boring. We didn't have that spark anymore. Sometimes, I would get too lazy to reply to his text. And also he stopped replying to my texts right away. Before high school, Natsu would always reply to me right away, within four minutes. But now, it took him at least an hour to four hours to reply to one text and usually, all he said was _yeah _or _oh_. That was it. It was as if I wasn't even important to him anymore.

Our texts went something like this:

**Me**: Oh my gosh! Did you hear their new music video? (7:03 p.m.)

**Natsu**: Mhm. (10:32 p.m.)

**Me**: It was great right? (10:34 p.m.)

**Natsu**: Yeah. (11:53 p.m.)

**Me**: Did you hear the girl's solo at the end of the video? It was so cool! (11:55 p.m.)

**Natsu**: Yeah. (1:35 a.m.)

Our conversations just weren't exciting anymore. It was as if he didn't even make an effort to talk to me. Sometimes… when he didn't text me back in so long, it felt like… he was talking to someone else even… better than me… Soon, the words "I love you" seemed so fake whenever he said it. It just… wasn't the same anymore.

Sometimes, when I walked around the hallways to my next class, I would spot Natsu, walking with his friends… that just so happened to always be girls… I'm not even kidding. Ever since he moved to this new high school, he has only made three male friends. The rest were female. In the beginning, I guessed it was because so many girls thought he was good looking, but now… I wasn't even sure anymore…

Whenever I walked past him in the hallways, I would wave hi to him, and he would always wave back, but soon… I noticed that he stopped waving back to me. Whenever I said hi, he would just look at me and turn away, continuing his conversation with his friends… that were of course female. He didn't even acknowledge my presence. He just... ignored me.

Then… it began to feel like to me… Natsu was the world… and to him, I was only an option.

Soon, I noticed that he began to always talk about this certain girl to me. Her name was Lisanna. I'm not saying I hate her or anything… But… she was just so tall and pretty… She was the definition of perfect. She was even taller than Natsu, and he was already pretty tall. But anyway… he was always talking about her, at least once a day to me. I guessed that she was a close friend he made at our new high school.

But soon, I began to hear some rumors around the school. I heard about it from my friend Mirajane, a new friend I had made in Fairy High. "Hey Lucy!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Did you hear? I heard that _the _Natsu Dragneel has a crush on Lisanna!" Mirajane didn't know about my relationship with Natsu. Like I said before, most people didn't even know that we were in a relationship. Only about ten people really knew.

"O-Oh…" I replied. "T-That's… cool…" I couldn't look at her in the eye. I stared at the wall next to us and shrugged. "I… uh… need to use the restroom… Bye!" Then I ran. I ran to my childhood friend, Sting's house, he lived two blocks away from my high school. He didn't attend the same school, but I heard that he didn't have school today, so I decided to go there.

I knocked on his house's door a couple of times and he opened it to see me. "Woah, Lucy!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Don't you have school? And where's Natsu?" He asked me where Natsu was because usually, whenever I came to his house, Natsu was always with me. But for the first time, I didn't come with anyone. It was just me.

"Uhm…" I looked down at the ground. "C-Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," he replied. He opened the door to his house and pointed inside his house. "Come in."

Sting and I were friends since kindergarten. To me, he was like a brother, someone I could always go to whenever I needed help. He gave the best advice I had ever heard. Sometimes, I wished I could give advice as well as he does.

"What's wrong…?" Sting asked. "You look pale…"

"Um… You know how Natsu and I are in a mutual relationship…?" I said.

"Yeah?" Sting said. "What about it?"

I explained to him the rumors that were going around my school and how Natsu always talked about Lisanna. I also told him about how Natsu always ignored me in the hallway whenever I waved hi to him. "And… I don't want to force him to be in a relationship with me…" I said. "If he likes someone else… I… I'm o-okay with it, I guess…"

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Sting asked.

"Not really… some people from my high school… but you don't know them…" I explained. "They also say that Natsu talks a lot about Lisanna to them too… Some of them are even telling me to break up with him."

"No," Sting said. "I mean, did you tell anyone from our middle school?"

"Not yet… I was thinking about telling Levy but-"

"Don't," Sting interrupted. "Their personal opinions would conflict. I mean, remember how the whole school shipped you guys because you two were literally always together?"

"Oh yeah… I guess you're right…" I said.

Sting put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey… Don't feel bad… People change in high school… even Natsu…"

"Yeah…" I didn't know how to reply. I wanted to cry so bad, but not in front of Sting. It would be too humiliating.

"Don't be afraid to be sad Lucy…" Sting said. "The worst thing is when people pretend to be stronger than they really are…"

When he said that, I couldn't hold my tears anymore. I just began to cry right in front of him. I screamed my lungs out and cried until my eyes couldn't cry any longer. "Thank you… Sting…" I whispered. "Thank you so much…" I wiped my tears with my sleeve and looked at my phone for the time.

"Oh no," I said. "My next class starts in ten minutes… I should get going soon…"

"Yeah," Sting replied. "Good luck at school Lucy!"

"Yeah… except…" I stared at the ground. "I don't want to even go to school anymore… If I go, then I'll have to see Natsu again… I don't want to see him… but I want to see him... I mean… I still love him… I really love him… but… I… I don't know if he feels the same anymore…"

"Lucy…" Sting said. "I'm sorry to say this but… if he doesn't then you have to let him go…"

"I know!" I cried. Tears formed in my eyes again. "I know… I know that I should… But how do I start? I can't just…"

"Lucy, you're an important friend to me, got that?" Sting said. "You don't deserve someone who treats you like you don't exist."

"Yeah…" I grabbed my backpack off the floor and slung it around my back. I wiped my tears with my sleeve and turned to look at Sting. "Thanks Stingy-bee," I said with a smile. Stingy-bee was a nickname I gave him back when we were in fifth grade. It was funny and it just stuck, you know what I mean? Then I went back to school like usual.

And you know what? Sting was right… Not every relationship lasts, even if one really wants it to. People change in high school, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. To be honest, I still love Natsu… I really do… But sometimes, I just have to move on. The process hurts but, eventually I'll get through it, and meet someone new. My friends always told me the famous phrase, "There are plenty of fish in the sea". But I knew that there is only one _fish _I really wanted: Natsu.

Eventually, I did break up with Natsu. It was hard, but I knew I had to let him go. I knew him for so long, I could tell with one look who he liked and in this case… it wasn't me anymore. It was… Lisanna. Unfortunately, we couldn't go back to the best friends we always were in the past. But, I was happy for him. Eventually, he began to date Lisanna, just as everyone predicted. To be honest, I was still in love with him at that time, but… I was still happy.

Because my happiness is seeing the person I like being happy.

You know, when someone breaks out of a relationship, the two people either really hate each other, or just become okay friends. For Natsu and I, it wasn't any of those. We just became... strangers. We didn't talk to each other anymore, or hung out with each other. We didn't feel hate towards each other, or love. We were strangers, just like in the beginning when I didn't know him. We were _strangers, again._

Afterwards, I got into many relationships with other guys in high school. However, none of them made me feel the way Natsu made me feel in the past. Whenever I broke up with the guy, I either became okay friends or extremely hated the other person, not strangers. We at the most, acknowledged each other's presence, unlike Natsu, whom I became strangers with.

However, I believe that every relationship should be remembered, no matter how terrible it was or how great it was. And… that a person should never forget about the person he or she was with at the time.

Eventually, my feelings for Natsu disappeared by the distance we always kept. However, I still thought about him from time to time, not in love thinking, just… thinking about him in general.

Now, I am twenty-three years old. I already graduated from college and am looking forward to my career, after paying most of my student debt. My thoughts about Natsu have lessened, but once and a while, I do think about him, even though it has been almost ten years since we were in a relationship.

"Hey Lucy!" Gray, one of my friends from college, said. "Wanna go to my friend's wedding tonight? He said that I should invite some of my friends to his wedding. You know, the more the merrier?"

I look at my schedule. Well, I didn't really plan anything, but weddings always meant free food. I need to save money for the debt from my college, so eating dinner at the wedding would save some money at least. I know, very ill intentions, but you know, I'm desperate for money.

"Sure," I reply.

"Okay!" Gray replies with a smile. "It's at seven in Magnolia Cafe. See you there!"

"See you there," I say.

That night, I go over to the wedding in my red dress. Now that I think about it, I never asked Gray whose wedding this was. I guess I forgot to ask. Oh well. I'd probably still go anyway. Weddings mean free stuff after all.

I look at my phone as I walk, texting my friend from middle school, Erza. Then, suddenly, I bump into someone whose body is seriously like a rock. Ouch. I look up to see who it is. My eyes widen.

Oh no. This can't be true.

That pink hair.

Those jet black eyes.

That white scarf he always wore.

There's no doubt about it, it's him.

"Lu-Lucy? Is that you?" the man says.

"Natsu…" I reply. I put away my phone. I haven't talked to this guy since we were in ninth grade. Well, this feels awkward. "Um… hey," I say. "It's been a while."

"Erm… yeah," he replies. He scratches his head. "Did Gray invite you?"

"Yeah, he did," I say. Oh no, I always said that I wanted to meet him again and become at least okay friends with him again, but now I just want to run. I look at a huge banner behind him. It says "Natsu and Lisanna" on it.

"O-Oh," I say. "Is this your wedding, Natsu?"

He nods. "Yeah."

Oh… so Lisanna is marrying him. Haha… I knew this would happen in the end. Dammit… why didn't I ask Gray whose wedding this was. I should have never came. I thought I got over him too. What the hell is wrong with me? He was ten years ago… these feelings should be gone.

Slowly, I slip my hand into my pocket and grab my phone. I click my music app and play my ringtone, and pretend to answer my phone. "Yeah?" I say. I feel a little stupid talking to a phone with no one on the other side, but I am desperate at the moment. "Mhm. Kay' got it. I'll come over then. Now? Okay. I'll be there right away."

I click my phone off and look at Natsu. "Oh… Sorry Natsu! I have to go! My friend just called me and she needs me at her house as soon as possible!" I lie. I feel bad for lying but I really need to get out of here... before these tears flow out.

"Oh…" Natsu replies. "That's too bad. See you around maybe?"

"Um… yeah…" I reply. "Bye then." I turn around and face my back towards him. Then, I realize I forgot to say something. Quickly, I turn my head around and smile. "I hope you and Lisanna are happy. Have a nice wedding! Thank you and… goodbye Natsu…"

"W-Wait! Lucy!" he suddenly shouts.

But I just run away before he can answer. He keeps shouting my name over and over again... why? I don't want to hear his answer. I just want to run and hide. Why is he calling me anyway? It's just going to make it harder for me to forget about... him.

Quickly, I get into my car, drive all the way back to the parking lot for my apartment, and just sit in the car. Tears begin to force their way on my eyes again. Why is this happening to me… Why?

I guess... at the end, these feelings were still here... Dammit. Dammit. Why? I thought they were gone. It had already been ten years. How could these feelings still remain here? I thought I was going to be okay now. I guess... I was just tricking myself.

I stare at the sky and close my eyes, allowing the tears to flow down from my eyes, to my cheeks, to dripping down my chin, and then onto the car seat.

"Will I really find someone new...?" I ask myself.

I shouldn't be bothered by you anymore, but I am.

I shouldn't care about you anymore, but I do.

I should hate you, but I don't.

Even after ten years, I still love you… Natsu…

**-End of Chapter 1-**

Since my fanfic, **The Immortal Princess**, is about to come to a close, I made a new fanfic! Hope you guys enjoy it! I know this is quite an odd start for a fanfic, but please trust me! It will get better for Lucy. Please review!

If any of you recognize this title, it is the title of one of my old one-shots that I deleted! I got some reviews to continue it and make it into an actual story, so I deleted it and re-made it. I hope you all enjoy it!

If you guys like this, please read my other fanfics as well! Thanks!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	2. Save Her

So... Natsu is getting married... with Lisanna. He's really going to be married... Haha, not that I... care.

I don't care.

I don't care.

I _don't _care.

Then... if I don't care, why do these tears keep falling out of my eyes? Why do I keep thinking about him constantly? His salmon pink hair… The glint he always had in his jet black eyes. The way he laughed at me whenever I clumsily made a mistake. Everything about him… I miss them all.

I guess... the truth is that I do care after all… even after all these years. Why do I have to be so attached to him? Soon, within minutes, he is going to be married… And he won't be mine ever again. I won't even be allowed to look at him.

I still think of those middle and high school days when Natsu was mine... when he hugged me tight and only looked at me. My friends Rogue and Sting back then would tease us whenever we cuddled with each other in public. But that all ended… when _that _happened. I remember as if it was yesterday.

Before _that _day happened, for some reason, my friends would always tell me to break up with him.

_He's cheating on you,_ they told me.

_I saw him cuddling with Lisanna behind the school, _others would say.

_He's a jerk! Break up with him! _some would say to try to convince me.

But I always believed in Natsu. I thought that there could be no way he could have been doing such things… until that day.

I was alone after school, so I texted Natsu to see if he was free to hang out.

**Me: **Hey! You free right now? I'm at school! Want to hang out? :)

**Natsu: **Oh, sorry. I already went home.

That was what he texted me.

And I believed him.

So I called Sting and asked if he wanted to hang out after school to study for finals. He said yes, so he walked over to my school to visit. He did go to a different school after all. It was convenient how he lived only two blocks away from mine.

He met me in the school library so we could study together. However, there weren't many chairs open because it was finals week season. So we decided to walk over to the back of the library, where not many people sat, to study together.

And there was where I found out.

Natsu told me that he already left school, but in the back of the library I saw him… hugging Lisanna, as if they were **lovers**.

He was nuzzling her neck as he hugged her from behind. His arms were wrapped around her stomach comfortably. When I saw this, it took me a while to get the situation to process through my head.

He was cheating on me.

I didn't go up to him to question. I was too scared. I just took Sting by the hand and dragged him away without saying a word.

"Lucy!" Sting said.

"Shush…" I said. "They'll hear you."

I walked him outside my school and we sat on a bench without saying anything.

"Hey…" he said. "Are… Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I say, laughing to cover up my obvious tears. "Haha… I kind of predicted this situation anyway! It's not surprising! He was bound to like someone else after being in a relationship with me for so long-"

"Shut up!" Sting shouted. "How long do you think that I've known you?!"

"Since kindergarten?" I said.

"I know when you aren't telling the truth!" Sting scolded me. "I know! Even I know that you are hurting! It's plainly obvious to me since I have known you for so long…" He scooted over to me and hugged me tight, allowing my face to be hidden in his chest. "So please… don't try to suppress your feelings. Just let it out."

And there, in his arms, I cried and told him everything. I told him about what my friends told me. I told him how Natsu lied to me and cheated on me for Lisanna. I told him about how _stupid _I was for believing in him. And Sting listened. He listened to my cries, my screams, and my complaints. He listened to me rant for hours and did not complain. He just listened and hugged me until I calmed down.

But… I guess that all this time, I really was still in love with Natsu, even though it has been ten years since that day.

My heart clenches as I cry alone in my car. I would go back inside my apartment, but my neighbors would see my swollen eyes, so I have to go later. I don't want them to worry after all. They'll definitely question it anyway.

After crying for a few minutes, I decide turn on my radio. I need something to distract me from crying. The silence of my apartment complex's parking lot is too much. It makes me want to cry more.

"Breaking news! A fire has been detected at Tokyo, Japan at a local cafe," the radio says.

I wipe my tears and listen in. I currently live in Tokyo after all.

"It seems that it started just a few minutes from now," the radio says. "At Magnolia Cafe-"

After that, I can't hear anything anymore. Magnolia Cafe... that is where Natsu is having his wedding! Oh god... Is he safe...? Is he okay? What do I do?! Is he injured?! Is he even still alive?!

"We have interviewed a man who was having his wedding in the cafe," the radio says. Suddenly, Natsu's voice echoes through the radio. "My bride is missing!" he screams. "Lisanna is still inside!"

My eyes widen. Lisanna Strauss... the girl who stole Natsu from me in ninth grade... She's inside the cafe which is on fire...?

I don't know what in the world am I doing, but immediately I start the engine of my car and drive in the direction of the cafe. I have to get there. _Now_. I need to go there. I don't care about how dangerous it is. I hear other cars beep at me, but I ignore. I have to get there as soon as possible. I don't care about those annoying beeping cars.

I stop my car next to the huge crowd gathering around the burning cafe. I throw my car door open and, without closing it, sprint out in my formal dress and high heels. I don't have time to care about my attire. I just have to get there.

"Lisanna!" I can hear Natsu scream. "Let me save Lisanna!"

"Let me through!" I shout loudly. I push my way through the crowd and spot Natsu. He is trying to run through the police. I run towards him.

"What's going on?" I shout to him. "What happened?!"

"Lisanna!" he cries. "Lisanna is still in there!"

I look over at the cafe. It seems that everyone has evacuated but Lisanna. What's going on? How is she still stuck there?

Looking at Natsu's desperation to save Lisanna, I worry. To be honest, I am glad Natsu is okay. And… as cruel as it sounds, I am happy that he is not the one who is stuck in the fire. But Natsu is upset. His desperation to save Lisanna is so strong… I guess that shows how much he loves her. But seeing how the building is creaking and burning, I know that no firefighter would dare go in there.

She wasn't going to be saved.

But... what could I do about it? I _have _to do something. I don't want to see Natsu's face like that... full of tears and desperation.

"Natsu, relax," I say. "And trust me."

"What?!" he yells. "What are you talking about-"

I ignore him, kick off my heels and run. I run to the cafe which is completely in flames. I have to get inside.

"LUCY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I hear Natsu scream behind me to get me to stop. But I don't listen. I just keep running.

I run into the building. It is hot. Sweat instantly appears on my face. I run further into the flaming building.

"LISANNA!" I shout at the top of my lungs while trying to avoid the flames. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Here!" I hear a soft voice scream. "I'm here!"

"Keep shouting!" I yell back. "I'll come over!"

"Here! Here! Here!" the voice continues to scream.

I try to walk over the rubble but it is hard in my bare feet and long dress. So I grasp onto the bottom of my dress and rip it. It's too hard to run with this thing.

Ouch… I can feel my bare feet bleed from the heat of the fire. It hurts… It really hurts.

"Here! Here!" I can hear the voice getting louder. It is just beyond the wall.

I take a pole from a curtain rod and slam the wall. Luckily, it is weak, so instantly it falls apart. And there in that room reveals the person I am looking for: **Lisanna Strauss**.

"Lisanna!" I shout. Quickly I run over to her. "Are you okay?!"

Her baby blue eyes look at me. She has been crying from fear. Her body is packed with bruises and dirt. She is bleeding on her waist and it seems like some rubble fell on her right leg, making her unable to move.

"Lu-Lucy?" she says in surprise. "It's… It's you!"

As quick as I can, I remove the rubble from her leg. She winces. It seems like she has broken her leg.

"Take off your dress," I say. "It's going to be hard to carry you in that. You should have an undershirt and shorts underneath right? So it won't be a problem."

"But-"

"You have to survive!" I scream, interrupting her. "Natsu _needs _you. So please… Listen to my words."

Lisanna doesn't say anymore. She takes off her wedding dress as I take a piece of unburned cardboard and put it under her broken leg. Then I take her old wedding dress and rip a section of it as a wrap to stick the cardboard on her leg to stop her from moving it.

"Ow… Ow…" she mutters. She is now in sport shorts and a camisole. I guess that's what she wore underneath her dress. I feel bad for ripping up her wedding dress, but it is necessary for making a brace so she doesn't move.

I bend down. "Get on," I say.

"But I'm heavy-"

"You can't walk!" I shout. "So get on!"

Reluctantly, she gets on my back and I carry her. Damn, she really is heavy. But I carry her anyway.

The fire is getting heavier. It's making me more and more fatigue. I have to continue though. I can't give up. For Natsu's sake, I must save the one he loves. I don't care about my life.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my foot. It seems to spread across my body like a shock wave. "Ack!" I groan. It seems like I stepped on some sharp glass.

"What's wrong?!" Lisanna asks. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I lie. "It's nothing."

As I try my best to run out of the building, my bare feet are bleeding more and more. It's painful. The glass on the floor just keeps stabbing my feet. But I can hear the building creak. It is going to break apart any minute. I have no time to care about my injuries.

I am almost out, just another sprint…

I dash and finally, I see light. I am finally outside. I can now breathe. Suddenly, there is a loud crash behind me. The cafe's building has just collapsed. Thank god I got Lisanna out in time.

Slowly, I walk over to the crowd as they move out of the way. Then in a safe place, I put Lisanna down onto the ground.

"Lucy… I-" Lisanna looks down at the ground. "I'm so sorry… And thank you for saving me…"

"You must live," I tell her, panting for breath. "For Natsu… because for him, if you die, he'll die inside as well. You are the one he loves after all."

"Loves…" Lisanna mutters quietly. "I wonder about that…"

"Huh?" I say, confused.

Before Lisanna can respond, there is a loud shout that interrupts her.

"_**LUCY**_!" It is Natsu's voice.

I look over. Natsu is running over to Lisanna and me.

But… why did he call my name and not hers? Isn't she his fiancee? He should be worrying about her... not me.

Before I can think anymore, my head begins to get dizzy. My eyes can't seem to stay open anymore. And before I know it, I lose the strength in my body and fall to the ground.

"LUCY!"

Again… why is he shouting my name again?

What did Lisanna mean by saying _I wonder about that_ when I said that Natsu loved her?

Ugh… I can't keep my consciousness.

**\- End of Chapter 2 -**

Hi guys! Thanks for waiting for this chapter to come out! I hope that you are enjoying this story so far! Sorry if it seems a bit rushed! And sorry if this chapter seemed a bit poorly written to you! I promise it will get better soon!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	3. Just a Stranger

**Lucy Heartfilia**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The sound of the rushing of people, going from room to room. The cries I hear from families who lost their loved ones. Where… Where am I?

"LUCY!" I hear someone shout. "LUCY!"

My eyes flutter open and instantly, pain pierces through my head. "Ugh…" I groan. My vision is blurred, but I can see a white ceiling above me with some pink blob.

"Oh my god! You're awake!"

What the hell? Did the pink blob just talk? Maybe I am just hallucinating.

"Hey, Lucy…? Are you okay?" the mysterious voice says with care.

Wait a second… that voice… My vision begins to get clearer by time and in front of me, I saw the person who I least expected to see: **Natsu Dragneel. **

"Wha…" My eyes widen. How…? How? Why is he here? "Where am I?" I mutter.

"The hospital," he replies. "You collapsed after saving Lisanna..." He grasps onto my left hand and puts it on his forehead. I can feel his salty tears falling on my hand. "Please…" he cries as he grips my hand harder. "Please don't do that ever again… You shouldn't have been so reckless! If you ever died… If you ever died, I… I wouldn't know what to do."

What is he doing? Why is he crying for me? Shouldn't he be happy that I saved his fiancee? The kind of tone of voice he is using is making him sound like he didn't _want _me to save Lisanna. And why is he holding my hand like that…? He holds it as if I were the most precious object to him… like a lover.

No. No. He can't treat me like this. If he treats me like this… I'll get the wrong idea and I'll just fall harder in love until I just break. I don't want to get the wrong idea. I have to stop this now.

I loosen his grip around my hand and pull it out of his grasp as I stare at my bed sheets, trying to avoid eye contact with him. My hands grip my bed sheets tightly nervously.

"O-Oh…" Natsu suddenly says. "Er… sorry… I was just... er... bad habit I guess..."

Why are you apologizing? For making me fall in love with you? For breaking my heart ten years ago? For leaving me and cheating on me with Lisanna? I don't want your apology. Don't apologize to me.

"I'll call a nurse over to announce that you're awake," he says as he leaves my room. The door shuts loudly with a _SLAM _and I am alone again.

I don't know why, but instantly, once I know that I am alone, tears pour out of my eyes, Why…? Why did I fall in love with such a guy? I am already an adult… yet the feelings I had as a mere fourteen-year-old are still deeply indented in me. Why can't I control my own feelings? If I could control my feelings, I wouldn't fall in love at all. But unfortunately, I have no control over my heart at all.

I can't allow this love to continue... It's forbidden. I have to cover up my feelings. Bottle it up and make sure it never comes out again. It is for the best... so I don't interfere with Natsu's love life... and future marriage. But I wonder if I can truly do that. He is like a painting hung on my mind. He is all I can see, all I can think about, and all I can ever analyze.

I hate Natsu... then I love him. It's like I want to toss him off a cliff and then immediately rush to the bottom to catch him. He is cruel... I know that yet... why do I still love such a fool?

I hear footsteps walking toward my room. Shoot. Quickly, I wipe my tears off my eyes just before the nurse comes in my room.

"LUCY!" I hear a cry. I turn my head to see someone I had not seen since I graduated from high school.

"Sting!" I say in surprise. How did he get here?

"Oh my god…" he mutters. He runs up to me and hugs me tight. "Thank god… Thank god… Thank god."

"How did you know I was here?" I ask, bewildered.

Sting looks at me oddly. "Are you kidding?" he says. "You rescuing Lisanna is all over the news! How could I not know about it?"

What? On the news? Wow. That was fast. How long have I been unconscious anyway? Well, regardless, I am happy to see my childhood friend. I missed him so much.

I hug him back tightly in joy as I look in front of me. It is Natsu again. He is just standing there watching Sting and I hug. Suddenly, he looks down at the ground, as if he refused to make eye contact with me.

I think he is alone when I look to the right to see Lisanna standing beside him with crutches. It seems like she really did break her leg. Well, at least she is still alive.

But... it hurts to see Natsu with someone else. I wish time would pass faster and I would forget about these feelings I have for him. Just hurry up time... please. I don't want these feelings anymore.

I release Sting from my hug. I look at his face. Why couldn't I fall in love with him? Sting is kind. He is smart and good-looking. He is built and his personality is wonderful. I can think of so many great things to describe him. He is practically the perfect person to fall in love with... yet... how did I end up falling for Natsu instead?

"Lucy...? Uh..." Sting mumbles, turning his head away from me. His cheeks are slightly pink. Shoot. He probably noticed that I was staring at him.

"Uh... Er... S-Sorry..." I mumble like an idiot.

Sting looks at his watch. "Ah. Shoot, I have to get back to work or else my manager will get mad." He waves to me and says goodbye. Then he quickly leaves.

Hm... Why did he even come here if he had work? He could've come later.

The nurse comes in and smiles. "So I did a scan earlier, and it seems like you just fainted due to shock and pain. Your feet will have to be bandaged for a while since you did step on glass, so you will have to deal with a wheelchair for a month, but other than that, you're good to go!"

The nurse wheels an empty wheelchair into the room. Oh. Just great. Stuck in a wheelchair? How could this get any worse?

Natsu takes a step. "Hey, Lucy. I can give you a ride home-"

"I will be taking her," someone suddenly interrupts. I turn my head to see my old college friend, Gray Fullbuster.

"Gray!" I exclaim in delight. Gray is one of my best friends. We studied in the same major and our old dorm rooms were right next to each other. After those four years in college, we have definitely gotten to be so close that we were almost like siblings.

Gray walks over to my bed and lifts me up bridal style. Eh? Since when he was he so strong? I didn't know that he could lift me.

"Gosh Lucy," he mumbles. "You're so light. Go eat something after this. I'll treat you."

"I want to eat pizza!" I laugh as he carries me to my wheelchair. I hug him in happiness. Yay! I'm going to get free pizza!

I don't know how, but as I sit on my bed, my eyes begin to trail to where Natsu is. We make eye contact.

His eyes are widened, as if he were in shock. He looks horrified. Why? I wonder if something happened. He keeps looking at me, then at Gray, and then back at me again continuously.

"Hey! Lucy!" Gray shouts in my ear.

"H-Huh? W-What?" I reply, a bit surprised. Wow, he scared me.

"Goodness!" He rolls his eyes. "I have been calling your name so many times!"

Wait what? Really? Wait a second… How long have I been staring into Natsu's eyes then? Dammit… I really need to stop this love of mine. I stare at the ground to avoid eye contact as Gray pushes me out of the room.

"I'm gonna go now, Flame Brain," Gray says. "See you later."

Natsu doesn't look at me. He just stares out the window. "See you Ice Princess," he says in a monotone voice. Well… of course he wouldn't say bye to me. I mean, it's not like we are friends or anything. We are just… strangers.

"Ah wait!" I hear a feminine voice.

I flip my head around to see Lisanna. "Oh, Lisanna," I say.

"I-I… I'm sorry…" she cries. "I'm so sorry… for making you get put on a wheelchair! If I were only more careful… I'm so sorry-"

I smile at her, making her stop her sentence. She stares at me in astonishment due to my smiling after all my pain. "Don't worry," I say. "I'm really happy that I could save you Lisanna."

And with that, Gray pushes me out of the room using my wheelchair. I didn't say goodbye to Natsu…

Well, he is just a stranger to me now after all.

**\- End of Chapter 3 -**

Hi guys! Sorry I didn't update in a two weeks! Finals are coming up and I am very nervous! But I will still update every week like usual!

Thanks for reading guys! Please look forward to my next chapter!

~ **_Metallic Snow_**


	4. Moved On

"_**If you disobey me any longer, I will use my power as a landowner and kick Lucy Heartfilia out of this city."**_

**Natsu Dragneel**

Hi. I am Natsu Dragneel, son of the wealthy landowner who owns the city I live in, Igneel Dragneel.

Sixth grade was the year I met her... Lucy Heartfilia. I used to always tease her every day, calling her ugly and fat. But really I meant the opposite. She was skinny, maybe even too skinny. She was beautiful and angelic. I guess those insults were what made her hate me, but somehow we ended up as best friends the following year.

I found out I had a crush on her in seventh grade. My little crush started as admiration. Soon, that little crush turned into a strong love and everyday I would fall deeper in love with her. However, she was totally oblivious to my feelings being the stupid dense girl she was. She even called me her _brother_. You have no idea how much that hurt me.

Eventually, during the summer after middle school graduation, I confessed to her using text messaging. I wish I confessed to her in real life, but I was always too nervous. But that was when our relationship started... and it was one of the best times of my life.

She was adorable. The way she cuddled on my shoulder, the way she hugged me with her tiny arms... It was cute. We never kissed though. I guess I was just too nervous to try.

We went on dates and learned more and more about each other every day. And with every day that passed, I fell deeper in love with her.

But soon... it all ended.

In the middle of my freshmen year of high school, my father, Igneel Dragneel, told me to go to a meeting in formal attire. I was confused about what was going on, but I went along with it anyway. Disobeying my father was always definitely a bad idea. I wore my best formal clothes and went inside my father's car as he drove me off to somewhere.

We stopped at this mansion. It was about the size of ours. Father rung the doorbell of the mansion. And the person who opened it was a girl the same age as me. She had snow white short hair and baby blue eyes that were like the color of the sky.

"Ah!" she said. "H-Hello! Welcome! My mother has been waiting for you!"

I shrugged and walked in. The white haired girl led me to a living room with a stern long white haired lady waiting inside.

"Hello Igneel," she said. She stood up and shook hands with my father. "I'm glad that your son was obedient to come here to accept his _**arranged marriage**_."

Arranged marriage...? When I first heard those two words, all my senses stopped working from shock. "Wha... What...?" I muttered. "Father! What is she talking about?!"

Father put his hand on his forehead with disappointment. "Ah... I thought you would be more mature about this but I guess you are really still too young," he said. "Listen son, I understand that you have a girlfriend, but you have to look into our company's future. Your girlfriend is not sufficient enough to continue our company's line."

"What are you saying?" I replied, glaring. "Lucy is perfect! She's smart and beautiful! I don't understand why she isn't sufficient enough!"

"Son, she isn't from a wealthy family," Father explained with a stern look on his face, telling me that he was serious. "She'll only bring us down."

"She won't!" I exclaimed. "Lucy can move up her status by her hardwork-"

"If you _disobey _me any longer, I will use my power as a landowner and _kick _Lucy Heartfilia out of this city," Father said sternly, glaring at me.

And with that... I knew that I could not argue any longer. Father's word was his word. I couldn't disobey him. I couldn't allow Lucy to get kicked out just because of our relationship. It would be unfair to her.

So I allowed my father to introduce me to Lisanna Strauss, daughter of a famous real estate company. I found out that she also went to the same school as me.

I tried to break up with Lucy... But... whenever I went up to her to talk about it, I always felt a lump in my throat and no words would come out. It was as if my heart still wanted to keep her. I didn't want to break up with her... at all.

But I knew that I couldn't love her any longer. I had to forget about her so I could marry Lisanna and please my father.

I tried cuddling with Lisanna. I tried hugging her and flirting with her. I tried to stop myself from texting Lucy completely. I tried to ignore her whenever she waved to me in the hallways. I tried everything to forget about her. I can't say that I am in love with Lisanna though, but I do feel like I finally moved on from Lucy and accepted my arranged marriage with Lisanna like a grown man.

But then, one day when I was cuddling with Lisanna in the back of the library, I saw _her _blonde hair. I am sure that she saw me cheating on her, because a few days later, she told me that she wanted to break up.

I deserved it anyway. It's not like I had feelings for her anymore. I had completely moved on.

But then... why did my heart feel so heavy when she said those five words _I want to break up_? Why did... I cry once I got home? Surely it wasn't because I had feelings for her... right?

No, of course it wasn't. It was probably just because of shock. Why am I even questioning my feelings anyway? I have completely moved on... I moved on.

Years passed. They seemed to go so slowly. My parents told me that I would be marrying Lisanna right after I graduated from college. Of course I didn't disobey. I... "loved" Lisanna after all. She was my fiancee. She was to be my future wife. Why would I ever say no to marrying such a beautiful and kind lady?

The day of our marriage ceremony came. We decided to have it at Magnolia Cafe. Little did I know that I would see _her _there.

I was just walking around the tiny cafe, enjoying my last moments of being a bachelor when suddenly I bumped into something... soft.

I looked down to see golden hair. The person I had bumped into was a skinny female. She looked up at my face and we just looked at each for barely a second... It felt like hours to me. My eyes widened when I saw that face. My heart began to beat wildly for some odd reason. But I knew who she was. She looked a bit different now that she wore makeup and her hair had grown to her waist, but there was no doubt about it. But... how did she get here in the first place...?

**Lucy Heartfilia.**

Why was she at my wedding? Did one of my friends invite her? Was it Sting or Gray? I don't remember inviting her. I haven't even spoken a word to her since ninth grade. Oh wait, I did tell Gray to invite some more people that he thought were cool since I wanted to meet new people for my wedding.

_So he knows Lucy…?_ I thought to myself.

"Lu-Lucy?" I mutter, accidentally stuttering for some reason. "Is that you?"

"Natsu…" she says. I can hear my veins run through my ears, pounding loudly. _Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. _Why was my blood rushing so fast?

"It's been a while," she says.

"Erm… yeah" I reply, scratching my head. _Shoot, what am I supposed to say to a girl that I cheated on just to get over her? _I mean, of course I didn't have feelings for her anymore. My heart was just pounding a ton because I was nervous. That was all. There was no way I would have feelings for her anymore. But I have to say… she did get a lot prettier over the years.

… What? It's not like I can't comment on her appearance. I'm not attracted by her, not at all. I'm marrying Lisanna after all… There is no room for Lucy anymore.

"Did Gray invite you?" I asked, just curious.

Lucy slightly smiled at Gray's name. "Yeah, he did," she said. "Oh, is this your wedding Natsu?"

"Y-Yeah…" I choked out. For some reason I felt like there was a lump in my throat. I couldn't speak very well anymore once she mentioned Lisanna and my marriage herself.

Suddenly, Lucy's phone begins to ring. "Yeah?" she answered the phone. "Mhm. Kay' got it. I'll come over then. Now? Okay. I'll be there right away."

She clicked her phone off and looked at me. "Sorry Natsu! I have to go!" she says with a laugh. "My friend just called me and she needs me at her house as soon as possible!"

That liar. I knew her lying habits. She was my ex-girlfriend after all. Whenever she lied, she always had this habit of laughing. But I decided to go with the lie and replied saying, "Oh… That's too bad. See you around maybe?"

"Um… yeah," Lucy muttered. "Bye then." The next thing she said made me feel… like crying.

"I hope you and Lisanna are happy!" she said with a grin. "Have a nice wedding!" She makes a soft giggle, but then her bangs make a shadow over her eyes. "Thank you and… goodbye Natsu…" Then she runs off.

"W-Wait! Lucy!" I screamed. I didn't know what I was doing. I just kept yelling her name over and over again. The only thing I could think in my head was _Don't go_.

I had to stop my temptation of running after her. I didn't know why I called her name. Why did my mouth move on its own like that? But there was one thing I knew for sure: she _laughed_. She laughed when she said that, which meant… she was lying.

No, there was no way. It was probably just my imagination.

Or… did I just wished that she was lying?

Slowly, I walked back to my guy friends who were helping me get prepared for the ceremony. Among them was Gray.

"Hey, have you seen this blonde girl anywhere?" Gray asked me as he stared at his phone, texting someone.

"Blonde girl?" I asked.

"Yeah, I invited her to your wedding since you told me to invite my closest friend from college since you wanted to meet my friends, so I invited her," he mumbles, still texting. "Her name is Lucy Heartfilia if you have seen her. I think she may be lost-"

"Lucy…?" I said. Oh yeah, she did mention that Gray invited her.

Suddenly, Gray's face went a little pink. "Y-Yeah… her… Have you seen her?"

"No," I lied. "I have no idea who she is, sorry. Tell me about her?"

Gray instantly turned beet red. "Ah… Promise me you won't tell anyone…?"

"Sure."

Gray shrugged. "She's my best friend from college. We are super close and stuff… And I er… about her… I kinda ah… I have been in love with her since our freshmen year in college…"

My eyes widened. A six year… crush? My heart uncomfortably tightened and it began to get hard to breathe. Was I sick? I didn't know, but I felt like I wanted to puke my guts out.

"Hey, Natsu…" Gray said. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"Of course I'm fine," I quickly replied. I banged myself in the head mentally. What was wrong with me? My best friend Gray just had a crush on my ex-girlfriend anyway… for six years. So what? I had a crush on her from _sixth grade _to freshman year of high school and even got in a relationship with her, whereas, _he _had nothing but a mere crush. My love for her _was _stronger… not that I liked her anymore anyway.

Wait a second, why was I bothering myself with this?! I had no relation to Gray's little crush anyway…right? So why did I keep comparing my past love with Lucy to Gray's current one?

Ugh… What was wrong with me?

**\- End of Chapter 4 -**

Sorry for taking so long to update! As you all know, it is exam season, so I am a bit busy. Thank you for waiting however! And please look forward to my next chapter!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	5. True to Your Feelings

**Natsu Dragneel**

"FIRE!" Suddenly, I hear somebody yell. The alarms begin to ring violently. Instantly, my nose is full of smoke.

I spin my head around. Is Lucy okay?! Please... Please tell me she already got out of here in time.

"Shoot..." Gray mutters. He grabs my arm, looking at me as if I were out of my mind. "What are you standing around for?! Run!"

Immediately, I come back to my senses. Why am I worrying so much about Lucy?! I should be more worried about my own life! I might die in this fire!

Gray and I sprint out of the building. Once we get out, I see a whole crowd of people outside, watching the cafe burn. I walk through the crowd, losing sight of Gray, but it doesn't matter. I have to find Lucy to make sure that she is safe.

"Lucy!" I yell. "LUCY!"

People begin to stare at me as if I were crazy. "Goodness... The groom is about to get married, but he is already yelling another woman's name..." I hear a old lady whisper to another lady in disapproval.

Oh shoot. What was I even saying?! Why was I yelling her name?! She doesn't even matter anymore. I don't care. I don't care. _I don__'t care. _

Suddenly, Lisanna's mother runs up behind me. "Natsu!" she shouts with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Woah!" I say. "What's wrong?!"

"Lisanna..." she says. "Lisanna is still in the cafe!"

What was that...? Lisanna?! Why isn't she out of that fire yet?! I look over to the building. It already looks like it is about to collapse. It probably only has about three minutes before it falls down. The firefighters are just watching. It seems like anyone in there already has no chance of saving.

"LISANNA!" I yell. Immediately, I run back to the direction of the cafe. Her mother is continuously shouting at me to stop, but I continue running. I can't allow her to die! She's my bride!

Suddenly, a strong man's arm gets in my way, making me crash into him. I look up at him. "What the hell are you-" I stop at my words. It is a firefighter.

"I... I'm sorry..." he says. "But I can not allow you to get any closer to that cafe than this."

My eyes widen. "Are you freaking crazy?!" I scream at him. "My fiancee is still in there! My soon-to-be wife is still in that building!" I glared at the man. "NOW DO YOUR JOB AND SAVE HER!"

The man slowly shakes his head. "I'm sorry..." he says in a regretful tone of voice. "But she is beyond saving-"

"SHUT UP!" I cry. "LET ME GO! LISANNA! LISANNA! I'LL SAVE YOU! LISANNA!"

However, no matter how hard I push, the man still blocks my way. Dammit... Lisanna... How can I get to her? This seems impossible. Can I actually save her? The building looks like it is about to break down any minute.

"NATSU!" Suddenly, I hear someone call. Is it another firefighter? "Natsu!" the female voice shouts again. "What's wrong?!"

"Lisanna!" I scream as I try to push through the man. "Lisanna is still in there!"

The woman grabs my shoulder gently. "Relax..." she says. I turn around and my eyes widen. It is that familiar blond hair and chocolate brown eyes. It is Lucy Heartfilia.

"Lucy!" I shout. "W-What are you doing here?!"

But she ignores me and suddenly sprints toward the burning cafe.

"HEY YOU!" the man that was just grabbing me shouts. "Come back here!"

But she continues to run. "LUCY!" I shout. "STOP!" I try to run after her, but that stupid man blocks me again. "LUCY!" I scream. "LUCY!"

Soon, she vanishes into that burning building. Oh god... I hear the cafe creak. It is about to fall. What the hell does she think she is doing?! Does she think that she's superwoman or something?! That idiot! Why is she putting herself in so much danger?

A minute has passed... It feels like hours. Please come back, Lucy... Why is she doing in there that is taking her so long? The cafe creaks again and a piece of wood falls off of the building. Oh god... Lucy... Please be safe.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps sprinting and heavy panting from the cafe. Is... Is that Lucy?! Please... let it be her.

The person runs out, and sure enough, it is Lucy. Her hair is messed up and she is barefoot. Her footprints that she leaves behind are red, full of blood. The bottom of her beautiful dress is torn. However, my eyes widen at who is on her back. It is my fiancee, Lisanna Strauss.

"No way..." I whisper to myself.

The cafe suddenly makes a loud crash. It falls and breaks into smithereens. She just got Lisanna out... just in time.

Lucy runs into the crowd as the people make room for her. She then gently puts Lisanna down in a safe place. She seems to be whispering something to Lisanna. Then, instantly, she falls and collapses.

"LUCY!" I scream. I run over to her and shake her shoulders. "LUCY... LUCY!"

"Oh my god..." I hear whispers from the crowd mutter to each other.

"Lucy..." Lisanna mutters, her hands covering part of her eyes. "I... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... Oh god..."

Immediately, we called the ambulance. Lucy was sent to the hospital. Gray went along with her in the ambulance car. He... He was her closest friend after all. Lisanna was also sent to the hospital for her broken leg. Since it wasn't as serious, I took her there by my car.

When we get to the hospital, Lisanna is sent to a room for surgery right next to Lucy's. Gray sits in front of her room with his hands in a fist, spotting me walking towards him.

"You lied..." he mutters to me angrily. "You said that you didn't know Lucy."

I gulp. Oh yeah... I almost forgot about that. "I'm sorry..." I reply. I scratch my arm, wondering what I should say. "I just didn't want you to know..."

"Why?" he asks. "What's wrong with being acquainted with her?"

"It's not that..." I say. "I just didn't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Gray raises an eyebrow in confusion.

I look down in guilt, staring the white tiled floor. "It's just that... she was my girlfriend in the past..." I say slowly. I tell Gray about my past with Lucy, how we were best friends who fell in love with each other. Then I explain how Lisanna was part of my arranged marriage as part of the first class. Then I tell him about how I cheated on Lucy to forget about her and how I have already moved on a long time ago.

"I have to say..." Gray says. "You're an asshole for doing that to her... But... you didn't hurt me at all... I mean, I am hurt that you didn't tell me earlier, but the past doesn't matter anymore."

"Huh?" I say.

"It's not like you're a threat," he says. "You're in love with Lisanna now, right?"

"Y-Yeah..." I say, for some reason, my voice keeps stuttering. "O-Of course I'm in love with Lisanna. I'm marrying her after all."

"Then you'll support me, right?" Gray laughs. "For my love for Lucy."

"Y-Yeah," I reply. "_Of course I will. You'remy best friend after all_."

**OoO**

A month has passed, and Lucy still hasn't woken up. Lisanna's broken leg and burns have been treated. I am in Lucy's room, just visiting.

Her eyes are closed. Her chest slowly goes up and down as she sleeps.

Please wake up... I think. Please wake up soon...

Suddenly, her arm twitches.

"Lucy...?" my mouth says on its on. "LUCY! LUCY!"

"Ugh..." she mutters. Her dark chocolate brown eyes flutter open like a newborn fawn.

"Oh my god..." I say, almost near tears. "You're awake!" However, she does not reply. She just continues to stare at me oddly with wide eyes.

"Hey... Lucy?" I say. "Are you okay...?"

"Wha...?" she mutters. "Where am I?"

"The hospital," I reply. "You collapsed after saving Lisanna."

My body seems to be moving on its own as I grab one of Lucy's hands with both of mine. I hold it tightly. Tears just begin to fall out of my eyes, both in happiness and anger.

"Please..." I say as I grip her hand harder. "Please don't do that ever again... You shouldn't have been so reckless! If you ever died... If you ever died, I..." I stare into her beautiful chocolate eyes, forcing her to lock her gaze into mine.

"I wouldn't know what to do..." I say, finishing my sentence.

Suddenly, Lucy jerks her hand out of my grip and looks away from me. Her bangs cover her eyes. I come to my senses immediately.

What the hell was I doing?! I'm acting like her life is more important than saving Lisanna. Lisanna should be my priority! I shouldn't be putting her first! Ugh... What the hell was I doing?! And... why is my heart pounding so fast...? Am I in fear? What is wrong with me...? I'm acting like my fourteen year old self again.

"O-Oh..." I say. "Er... Sorry..." I turn around and go to the door. "I-I'll call the nurse over to tell her you're awake."

Then after that, I slam the door shut and sit down at the foot of the door while allowing my back to glaze the surface of it. I put my hand on my forehead and sigh. Dammit... Ever since I saw Lucy that day, everything has been falling to pieces. Usually I am a man with a plan, but once I am in front of her, I don't know how to act. My master plans always break apart.

Suddenly, I feel a soft kick at my feet. I look up as my eyes widen to see my old friend from high school. It is Sting Eucliffe.

"Hey Natsu," he says. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah... Hey Sting," I say. "I was just visiting. Are you visiting too?" Sting nods as I get up to allow him through the door.

Sting opens the door and immediately he shouts, "LUCY!" and wraps his arms around her tightly. I can't even hear their conversation anymore. It is as if my ears just went deaf.

Sting is... hugging Lucy... Well, of course he would! I mean, he is probably just extremely happy that she woke up from her coma! That is why he threw his arms around her right? Of course, of course. Haha.

Suddenly, I make eye contact with Lucy, but then instantly she turns her head and looks away. My heart seems to be going in turmoil. Maybe I should visit the nurse later.

Sting then leaves for work as he waves goodbye to me. A nurse comes in right after.

"So I did a scan earlier, and it seems like you just fainted due to shock and pain," the nurse says. "Your feet will have to be bandaged for a while since you did step on glass, so you will have to deal with a wheelchair for a month, but other than that, you're good to go!" she exclaims as she wheels in a wheelchair. Lucy instantly looks at it in disgust.

Well, I might as well apologize by giving her a ride home, right? I mean, how else is she going to get home? Her feet are injured, so she can't drive herself.

"Hey Lucy..." I say. "I can give you a ride home-"

"I'll be taking her," a voice suddenly interrupts me. I turn around to see that it is Gray.

"Gray!" Lucy exclaims happily. She opens her arms for a hug.

Gray swoops her up with his arms and carries her bridal style.

Instantly, all my senses dull out.

Were they always this close... without me knowing...? They seem to be talking about having dinner together. Did they always eat together or something? What... What was with Gray...? The way he spoke about Lucy was way different at the cafe. He spoke as if she was just a mere crush, but in reality, they look like a married couple. I feel my hands move on the own, clenching into angry fists.

Did I... lose against him...?

Suddenly, a hand holds my shoulder. I jump in surprise and turn around. It is Lisanna.

"Wow..." she whispers. "They really do get along."

Get along...? It's more they are in love with each other! They seem like an ideal couple-

"You should be more true to your feelings," Lisanna suddenly says, interrupting my thoughts.

"Wha... What are you saying?" I laugh as I pat her back. "Everything is fine!"

Then, suddenly, I make eye contact with Lucy again. But this time, she doesn't look away. We just keep looking each other. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes are just gazing into my jet black ones. She is absolutely mesmerizing.

"Hey Lucy!" Gray suddenly yells. Immediately, she breaks off our eye contact. They talk for a while, but I am not listening. All I can think about are Lucy's eyes. The way she looked at me at first looked so... sad. I wonder why?

Gray wheels Lucy out of the room. "I'm gonna go now, Flame Brain," Gray says. "See you later."

I just stare out the window. "See you Ice Princess," I reply in a bored tone of voice.

"Ah wait!" Lisanna shouts. Immediately, she bows to Lucy. "I-I… I'm sorry…" she cries. "I'm so sorry… for making you get put on a wheelchair! If I were only more careful… I'm so sorry-"

Lucy just smiles at her and pats her back, making her stop her sentence. She stares at Lucy, amazed at her wonderful smile. How is Lucy smiling...? Lucy has always been amazing... but really, she is too kind. She always smiles even when she is extremely troubled. It is her own way of not making people worry about her. But because I know this habit of hers, it just makes me more worried... She should be more opened about her feelings in my opinion. She shouldn't hide her pain just to act strong.

"Don't worry," Lucy says. "I'm really happy that I could save you Lisanna."

Ah... For some reason, I knew that she was going to say don't worry. She is just acting strong again... That idiot... Sometimes it is okay to be weak and cry, you know...

Then, Gray pushes Lucy out of the hospital room. I don't bother saying goodbye. What was the point of saying that anyway? It's not like Lucy is one of my friends. We are just... strangers now after all... and nothing more.

\- **End of Chapter 5 -**

Sorry for not updating in so long. I have a lot of things going on at the moment... so updates will be slow... I'm really sorry. Update schedule will be normal very soon. I will be a day or two late sometimes for now.

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	6. Still in Love

**Lucy Heartfilia**

Gray has been so nice to me these past few months that I have been on a wheelchair. Everyday he would come over to my house to help me with daily tasks, such as cleaning and cooking. I gave him the keys to my house so I wouldn't have to get up and let him in. My house is practically a second home for him after all. As for my job, I can stay home and do it. I am an author after all. I can write anywhere, as long as I have a pen or keyboard.

I can finally walk again since I practiced. Although it was hard at first, slowly, like a baby, I got the hang of it. Gray also helped me with this. He allowed me to use his arm for support. He really is such a kind friend. I really don't deserve anyone like him.

Well... as for Natsu, after that day in the hospital, I never saw him again. And thanks to that distance, slowly my thoughts of him decreased. Perhaps maybe this time I can finally move on and pursue a new love.

I walk into my house after grocery shopping and Gray greets me at the door. "Want to celebrate your recovery?"

"Celebrate?" I ask. "Where would we do that?"

Gray smirks as he pulls out two tickets from the amusement park. "My friend gave me these," he says. "Want to go?"

My eyes immediately light up at the sight of the tickets. Oh my goodness, Gray knows me too well. I absolutely love amusement parks. I haven't been to one since freshmen year in college though.

"Can I take that as a yes?" Gray laughs as he waves the tickets around.

"Yes!" I exclaim excitedly. I run up to Gray and give him a big hug. "Thank you so much Gray! You're the best friend ever!"

"_Friend.._." I hear Gray mutter. His eyes stare at the ground.

"What's wrong?" I ask, loosening him from my hug. "You look troubled."

Gray shakes his head. "I'm fine," he says as he scratches his back. He always had a habit of scratching his back when he lied.

"I know you aren't," I argue as his eyes widen. "You can't lie to me."

"No, really Lucy," Gray says. "I'm really fine. Come on, I'll drive you to the park. Get in my car."

He is still lying, but I decide not to ask him any further. It may be too personal.

Gray and I sit in his car and he drives me to the amusement park. The park is so beautiful. I could hear people scream loudly in fear and joy. The rustling of the roller coasters is so nostalgic.

I grab Gray by the hand and pull him. "Come on!" I shout. "Let's go to the loopy loops and carnival games! Hurry it up!"

"Alright, alright," Gray laughs. "Coming!"

We go on everything. Every single ride is just thrilling. Seeing Magnolia upside down is just pure craziness.

After an hour or so, Gray seems to be getting tired. "Want to go get something to eat?" he asks.

"Sure," I reply as he pulls my hand towards a tiny food stand.

We are just having a normal conversation when suddenly, I hear a feminine voice yell, "Lucy!"

I turn my head and instantly I drop Gray's hand. My eyes widen and there seems to be a lump in my throat. No way... it couldn't be them. Please... just not here.

"Oh! Lisanna! Natsu!" Gray says. "Didn't expect to see you guys here!"

Natsu... out of all places... Why is he here with... Lisanna...?

Lisanna lets go of Natsu's hand and runs over to me, giving me a big hug. "Oh my gosh," she squeals. "Long time no see!"

I hug Lisanna back. "Yeah," I say with a smile. "Long time no see." Lisanna really is a nice person. I can see why Natsu fell in love with her... instead of me. I can pretend that I hate Lisanna all I want, but really I just can't. She is too kind. I can't despise such a nice girl.

"How are you?" I ask.

"I'm great!" she exclaims. I can see Natsu awkwardly standing behind her. He seems to be talking about Gray about something.

"Hey..." Lisanna whispers. "How's Gray?"

"Gray?" I ask, confused.

"You know," she says playfully. "Aren't you two practically a couple?"

My face immediately flushes red. "A-Ah! N-No! W-We are just friends!"

"Really?" she asks in disbelief. She raises an eyebrow.

"Really!" I say, a bit too loud.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Gray says, running to me with worry written all over his face.

I turn even redder in embarrassment. "N-Nothing..." I mutter, using my arm to cover my overly red face.

"Don't lie to me," Gray scolds. He pulls my cheeks. Ouch. "Spit it out," he says.

Lisanna smirks. "Nah, it really is nothing, Gray," she says, trying not to laugh. "She's just aware of you now."

"Lisanna!" I say angrily.

"Sorry!"

I look over at Gray. His face is like mine, bright red. Behind him, I can see Natsu. He is just standing there. Usually he is really sociable so it is weird to see him just standing there quietly.

"Oh I know!" Lisanna exclaims. "Since all four of us are here, how about we do a double date?"

"D-D-Double date?!" Gray says.

"We aren't even a couple!" I say.

"Oh, don't mind the little details," Lisanna laughs. She grabs Natsu's hand and walks off. "For starters, let's go eat!"

I look at Natsu and Lisanna's hands, locked together. My heart seems to squeeze tightly. Dammit... I really do still have feelings for Natsu after all... Why did things have to turn out like this? I could've been having fun... but ever since I saw Natsu with Lisanna like that, everything has been going downfall.

"Lucy..." Gray says. "Are you really okay?"

"Yeah," I say with a small laugh. "Don't worry Gray."

Gray puts his hand on my head and messes up my hair. "Alright," he says. "Let's go eat then."

We order snacks from the food stand. Then we walk around to look at the carnival games. One of them really catches my interest. It is full of stuffed cartoon cats from a show called Fairy Tail that I watched when I was little.

"Wait! Guys!" I shout. "I want to try this game!"

It is a hammer game. The harder one pounds the hammer on the weight scale, the better the prize is. The top prize was the main character of_ Fairy Tail_, Happy the blue cat. _Fairy Tail _ is just a show I used to watch as a teenager. It was amazing.

I pay the booth's worker. The guy gives me the hammer. I really hope I can win Happy. He was always my favorite character as a kid.

I lift the hammer and pound it as hard as I can on the scale, but I am too weak. The scale doesn't go anywhere near the main prize. It barely goes even a fourth of the scale.

"Damn," Lisanna says. "These kind of games are really hard. Only the strong people can actually win anything."

Gray walks up to the booth's manager and pays for a try. "I'll give it a go." He pounds the hammar on the scale and it goes about halfway to the max. Man... Gray really is strong.

The booth's manager gives Gray his prize. It is the white cat, Carla, in a keychain form. He takes it and throws it to me.

"Here," he says. "I never really watched this show, so you can have it."

For some reason, my heart begins to pound loudly and my face turns a little pink. "A-Ah..." I say. "T-Thanks Gray."

"No... No problem," he says, scratching his head.

Suddenly, Natsu pushes his way through the crowd. His bangs are covering his eyes, but I could tell that he was annoyed for some reason. What is wrong with him?

He pays the manager for a try at the hammer booth also. Ah, I know. He probably also wants to win something. When we used to date, we used to always watch_ Fairy Tail_ together. It was our favorite show to watch together. If memory serves right, his favorite character is also Happy.

Natsu swings the hammer. For a second, nothing happens. Then, suddenly the weight scale makes a loud crack. Smoke begins to come out of it. Gray, Lisanna, and I are just staring in amazement. The manager's mouth is just wide open in shock.

...

Natsu_ broke_ the scale... How can someone even be that strong?! More like, how was that even possible?! Oh my god.

"Uh..." the manager says. "T-Take any prize you want."

As if what he did was normal, Natsu calmly walks over to the prize selection and picks out the Happy stuff doll. Then he walks out of the booth, leaving the poor manager dumbfounded.

Wait a second, is it just me, or is Natsu walking towards_ me._

No way, this _has_ to be my imagination.

Natsu extends his arm towards me with the Happy doll in his hand. "Here," he says. "You were trying to win this, weren't you?"

I can feel my whole body turn red and my hands take the Happy doll. My hands shake in nervousness as I hold it. "Y-Yeah," I say. "Thanks... Natsu."

"No problem," he says as he walks away, cracks his neck and takes Lisanna's hand.

Wow... He is so... amazing. Who knew that he was actually that strong?

Wait a second, what am I saying?! I'm not supposed to be mesmerized by him! Ugh... I'm not supposed to like him anymore... Right when I am about to get over him, he always has to do something that just wins my heart back. But I know that this love will always be one-sided... I have no chance against his fiancee, Lisanna. I am not as pretty or cute. She is definitely much more worthy of Natsu than I am.

I hold the Happy doll tightly. It is so soft. I can still smell a tiny bit of Natsu's cologne on it. I wonder what brand he uses. It smells nice.

"Hey!" Lisanna shouts. "It's almost the end of the day! How about we finish it off with a nice view of Magnolia!"

"From the drop tower?" I ask.

Lisanna laughs. "Psh, of course not!" she exclaims. "That is so not romantic at all Lucy! We're going to the ferris wheel!"

The ferris wheel in this park is really famous. There is always a long line for it, especially at this time where there is a sunset. It is famous for this superstition. Apparently, if two lovers sit on it together, they will stay in love forever.

"Sure," I say. "That sounds fun."

The four of us walk over to the ferris wheel and wait in the long line for about an hour. By the time we finally reach the front of the line, I am tired due to my lack of sleep.

"Ah..." I yawn. "Do you and Natsu want to go first? Or should Gray and I go?" I ask Lisanna.

Lisanna smiles. "You should go first! Take your time-"

"WATCH OUT!" suddenly I hear Natsu yell.

I turn around in confusion. What is going on?

Suddenly, the person behind me accidentally pushes me. I lose my balance and fall, making my heart skip a beat in fear. I close my eyes as I make impact on the ground.

But instead of falling on the ground, I feel an arm coil around my waist, stopping my fall. Then the arm pushes me backwards, making me fall into the mysterious person's muscular back. It is probably Gray.

"Are you alright?!" Gray cries, holding me in his arms. "You should be more careful!"

I rub my head as I turn around to thank him. "Ah... Thanks Gray-" My eyes widen. It is not Gray's arms that I am in. It is Natsu's. Natsu saved _me_.

We stare at each other awkwardly, none of us averting our gaze. My heart keeps beating faster and faster.

Suddenly, the man managing the ferris wheel grabs Natsu and I. "Hurry it up and get on!" he grumbles in annoyance as he pushes us forward towards the wheel. "Next couple!"

"W-W-Wait!" I exclaim, trying to stop him. "We aren't a couple-"

But it is too late. The man shoves us in the carriage and locks the door, leaving us stuck inside for at least half an hour.

"Wait!" I shout. I pound on the door loudly. "Let us out!"

I turn to look at Natsu. He sits on one of the benches as he looks out the window to see the view. He pats the seat across from him.

"You should just sit," he says. "There's nothing we can do about it anyway."

Slowly, I stop pounding the door and quietly sit across from him. He is right. It's not like the managers of this ride would reverse the wheel just for us.

"I-I'm sorry," I say as I play around with my hair. "It was because of me that we ended up in this situation..."

"It's fine," Natsu says. "It's just a ride. Don't mind the superstitions. They probably aren't even true."

Ah... He is probably talking about how if two lovers sit on this ferris wheel they will stay in love forever. When he says this, my heart squeezes and I hug the Happy plushie a bit harder. I guess somewhere in me, I still hope for mutual feelings between Natsu and me. But I already know that this is impossible. Natsu is going to be married soon after all.

"Thanks... Natsu," I say. "For breaking my fall."

Natsu shrugs. "It's no problem," he says. "I was predicting that you would fall at some point." He makes a small smirk. "You haven't changed at all, have you?" he says. "Still as clumsy as ever."

I feel a vein of annoyance pop out of my head. "What was that?" I ask angrily.

"C-l-u-m-s-y L-u-c-y," he says in his sing-songy teasing voice.

"Why you!" I exclaim as I try to punch him in the gut. But his hand immediately grasps my wrist tightly, stopping me.

Natsu laughs. "Psh," he says. "Too slow-"

But he stops in the middle of his sentence. His hand is still coiled around my wrist tightly. I just realize how close we are to each other. My heart begins to beat again. He is so close... and the way we talked just now was so nostalgic. We talked the way we used to as kids. We talked as if love didn't matter anymore... as if our relationship never happened, but it was starting _now._

His hand around my wrist is feeling hot. Just his small touch makes my body go insane.

"Ah..." I say. "S-Sorry-"

"Hey Lucy..." he says in a soft almost inaudible voice, interrupting me. His face seems to be getting closer and closer to mine, as he was trying to inch closer to me. "What would you do if I told you that I was still in love with you?"

**\- End of Chapter 6 -**

Hey guys! Hope you all loved this chapter! Sorry for the cliffhanger and please review if you enjoyed it!

~_** Metallic Snow**_


	7. Lies

**Natsu Dragneel**

My hand is coiled around her wrist. She is so close. I can hear her breathing in and out slowly. I lean towards her as I watch her lips open slightly.

"Hey Lucy..." I whisper as I look into her eyes. "What would you do if I told you that I was still in love with you?"

Lucy stares as me. I can not control myself any longer. She just looks so vulnerable and before I know it, my face is only millimeters away from hers.

"Stop!" she suddenly yells, slapping my hand off of her wrist. She looks at me with a panicked look on her face. "D-Don't give me the wrong idea!"

I instantly come back to my senses. What the hell did I think I was doing?! Am I out of my mind? I'm going to be married with Lisanna soon! What is with me?! Why did I just say that?! It was as if my mouth was moving on its own. Why did my mouth do that...? Why did Ieven do that?! I must be going crazy. Or maybe I'm just sick. Yeah, that's right. I'm just sick. That's all.

"Uh... Um..." I try to look for excuses. I can't make this anymore awkward. "Just kidding!" I say, laughing loudly. "I'm just messing with you! It was a joke! Just a joke!"

Suddenly, I feel a lump in my throat. Was what I didreally a joke...?

"O-Oh!" Lucy says. She begins to laugh. My heart squeezes when she does. Her laugh means that she is troubled... I troubled her with my joke. I hurt her.

"It was pretty funny!" she says with a bright smile. But I know that smile is fake. As her ex-boyfriend, I know. That fake smile is one that I can never forget. It was the smile she used that day... the day of our breakup.

**OoO**

_**Ten years ago...**_

It was expected. I knew that it was going to happen eventually. I already predicted it anyway. I predicted it since the day I saw her angelic blonde hair in the library with Lisanna.

That day, I received a text. It was from Lucy, saying:

Lucy: Hey, can you meet me at the park near my house? It's really important.

Usually, I would ignore Lucy's text. I was trying to get over her after all. I knew that I couldn't be with her any longer. I had an arranged marriage with Lisanna. There was no point in having a relationship out of love anymore.

However, I couldn't help but reply when I read that it was really important that I went. I just couldn't resist. But... for some reason, I could already predict where this was going. Why else would she call me out anyway? It was obvious... so obvious... yet for some reason, in the depths of my thoughts, I kept praying that it wasn't what I was thinking. I was praying so hard. But for what? It wasn't like I was going to be sadafter it. Maybe it was because I just hated change.

I walked over to the park and spotted her on the swing by herself. She was playing around with her hair. That was something she always did when she was nervous. I knew that for sure.

"Hey Lucy!" I greeted.

Lucy turned around and smiled at me. "Hey Natsu!" she exclaimed. She patted the seat of the swing next to her. "Sit down! Sit down!"

I sat next to her and we swung on the swings silently. I kept looking at her with the corner of my eye. She was definitely nervous about something. Her hair was almost all in knots.

I combed her knotted blonde hair with my bare hands. "Hey... What's wrong Lucy...?" I asked softly as I felt her soft hair with my fingertips. "You can tell me anything."

"Any... Anything...?" she muttered. She stared at the ground quietly. After about five minutes, she took a big breath and looked at me directly in the eye.

"I have been thinking lately," she began. "That our relationship... just hasn't been really... working out."

Ah... I knew it. Somewhere in my heart,_ I knew it_.

"I want to break up," she announced. She made a loud laugh afterwards. It may have been an odd time for someone to laugh, but it wasn't for Lucy. Her lying habit was so clear. Whenever she would lie, she would laugh. The louder the laugh, the bigger lie that she was making. I knew that she did that... to hide her want to cry. She did that to cheer herself up, hiding how much she was truly hurting.

_You liar..._ I thought to myself._ You don't want to break up._

"Why...?" I couldn't help asking. I didn't know why I asked that. It was so obvious why. I ignored her calls, texts, her waves in the hallways, and sometimes never even showed up to our dates. I was horrible to her. I was terrible. She probably despised me with all her might now. I could... definitely see why... If I were in her situation, I would hate me too.

"I just think that we would be better off, you know," she said. "Apart," she added with that beautiful bright smile.

But that smile was fake. She wasn't lying however. She truly believed that being apart would be best for both of us... I knew that because she didn't laugh.

And for some reason, I was praying... pleading that she would laugh.

_But she never did_.

**OoO**

Lucy and I spend the rest of the time in the ferris wheel in an awkward silence. Once in a while, we would make eye contact, but we would immediately look away afterwards. But we watch the sunset together. It is beautiful, but for some reason, when I am watching it with Lucy... the sunset looks prettier than normal.

Thirty minutes finally past. It felt like hours. Lucy and I get off the ride. Gray and Lisanna are waiting for us in worry. It seems like they didn't ride the wheel.

"LUCY!" Gray immediately yells, sprinting over to Lucy. He crashes into her, giving her a big hug. "Are you okay?! Oh my god... Oh my god..."

Lucy hugs Gray back and then loosens the hug. "I'm fine Gray!" she says. "Look! I'm right here. You don't have to worry."

Gray's eyes begin to tear up. "God... Thank god..." he mutters as he hugs her tightly, as if he were reassuring himself that she was there.

"They really are cute, aren't they..." Lisanna suddenly says.

"H-Huh?" I stammer.

"You know, Gray and Lucy. Don't you think so?" Lisanna says, looking at me. "Or..." She looks at Gray and Lucy. Then she looks back at me. "Are youjealous?"

"Jealous?" I say. "Me? No way! Lisanna, you're being overly conscious!" I exclaim, as I put my hand on her small head, messing her white hair up. "I love you, Lisanna. You're my fiancee after all."

Lisanna makes a weak smile and stares at the ground. "_Be true to your feelings..._" she mutters almost inaudibly.

I raise an eyebrow in confusion as to why she said that. "Don't worry Lisanna," I say in a reassuring voice. "_I am_."

**\- End of Chapter 7 -**

Hi guys. Sorry for taking so long to post. I have been having some technical difficulties with this website. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and are looking forward to the next one!

~_** Metallic Snow**_


	8. It's All Pointless

**Lucy Heartfilia**

Gray is still hugging me tight. He keeps asking me over and over again if I am okay. He is such a sweet friend, but he doesn't have to be so worried. I was just away for thirty minutes on the ferris wheel... with Natsu…

"Come on lovebirds," Lisanna says in a teasing voice. "Stop cuddling so we can go already."

"Eek!" Gray and I quickly let go of each other and stand around awkwardly. For some reason, I can't help but allow my eyes to trail back to Gray. Once I do, I see his dark blue eyes stare back at me. Then quickly we look away. Then we make eye contact again. The same pattern of eye contact keeps happening over and over again. What in the world is wrong with my eyes?

"Should we get going now?" Natsu suddenly says in a loud voice. His voice has a tint of annoyance in it. I wonder what's wrong.

"Uh... sure," Gray says. "Where to?"

"How about dinner?" Lisanna suggests. "I'll treat you guys since Natsu and I intruded your _date._"

"We weren't on a date, Lisanna!" I argue. "We were just hanging out!"

"Mhm," Lisanna says in a sarcastic tone. "Sure. Anyway, how about we go for ramen?"

Natsu nods. "Sounds good," he says. "Let's go."

We walk over to the ramen shop and it is full of nice smells. It seems to be rustling with business. Suddenly, I recognize this place. Ten years ago... back when Natsu and I were dating, Natsu and I used to come here to eat at least twice a week after school.

I look over at Natsu. Looking at the expression on his face, he probably has remembered this place also. A smile naturally appears on my face when I see that he remembers. It makes me feel like I made an impact in his life, as if I were important.

Suddenly, his jet black pupils seem to turn to me. My heart skips a beat and quickly I turn away. I can't keep thinking about the past when Natsu was my boyfriend. I can't afford to be in love with him any longer. This long pointless love needs to stop... now.

A waitress walks over to the four of us. Lisanna immediately walks over to her as well. "Four seats please!" she exclaims.

The waitress nods and leads us to our seats. Then she gives us the menu. "What would you like?" she asks.

I remember that I always ordered the same thing every time. I went here in the past with Natsu. I would always order the house's original ramen with no spicy spices (I can't handle spicy foods), extra crunchy noodles, less white onions, extra green onions, no black pepper, a sprinkle of white pepper and a little extra pinch of salt. That was how I always wanted my ramen. To me, it always tasted better this way.

"I'll take the miso ramen," Lisanna says.

"Then I'll have the shio ramen with a glass of cold green tea," Gray says. Then he turns to me. His hand is on my back. "Do you want to share the green tea with me? I can order a large size for us," he asks.

"Sure!" I exclaim happily.

"Okay, then we want a large glass of cold green tea," Gray says to the waitress.

My eyes trail to Natsu again and for some reason, he is glaring at Gray. He constantly keeps looking at Gray's hand on my back, and then back at Gray's face. I wonder if they had a fight... I really hope not.

"Miss," the waitress says to me as she writes the orders down. "What would you like?"

A smile appears on my face when it is my turn to order. I haven't had this ramen in so long and I really can't wait to eat it again.

I turn to the waitress. "Um... I want the-"

"The house's original ramen," Natsu suddenly interrupts. "No spicy spices, extra crunchy noodles, less white onions, extra green onions, no black pepper, a sprinkle of white pepper, and an extra pinch of salt,"

My eyes widen. My mouth almost drops. He... He remembered...? No way. Even just a little thing like that, he remembered every little detail. He even remembered the pinch of salt, which even I forgot sometimes!

"Um... Is that your order... Miss?" the waitress asks me.

"Ah... Y-Yeah," I say to her. "Uh... exactly right."

Natsu immediately makes a tiny almost unnoticeable smirk. Then he quickly goes back to his normal straight face. What... What was that? It was almost as if he was showing off to someone whom he was jealous of... like he just won at some kind of argument.

No way, I'm just thinking too much. I mean, come on Lucy. Do you really think the Natsu Dragneel would be jealous over someone like you? He has a fiancee for god's sake.

I look over at Gray to ask him if he wants to order anything else, but instead he is just glaring into Natsu's direction. I think they really did get into an argument. They don't seem too friendly today.

Well, I shouldn't worry too much. They are best friends. They'll make up soon.

"What would you like?" the waitress asks Natsu.

A smile naturally appears on my face as I imagine how he would reply. He always got something random and then asked for it to be extra spicy to the max. He isn't too picky about food unlike me. He seems to love anything as long as there is extra spice.

"Anything," Natsu says. "Just make it extra spicy to the max."

Instantly, I burst out laughing. I just can't help it. It is is just so like him.

"Woah," Gray says. "What's up Lucy? What's so funny?"

"N-No, n-nothing!" I say, trying to hold my laughter. "I just remembered something from a long time ago."

"Um... Then the house's special, extra spicy," the waitress says. "Is that alright?"

"Yup," Natsu says. "It's all good."

The waitress leaves and after ten minutes, our orders come in. I taste my ramen and it is so nostalgic. It is the same salty, crunchy, and practically perfect flavor. It makes me think about the times Natsu and I came here in the past. Back in those times, our feelings were mutual. We loved each other. He was mine and I was his. But now it is not the same anymore. It isn't me by his side anymore. It... It is Lisanna now.

Suddenly, a tear falls on my cheek. Then another. And another. And soon, I notice I am crying. What... What is this?! Why am I crying?! I can't cry! Natsu doesn't matter anymore! The past doesn't matter anymore! Just think of unicorns, Lucy. Think of monkeys farting rainbows…

But it is too late to stop the tears. Tears just keep falling out of my own will. I am practically sobbing now and I can't stop it.

"Lucy?!" Natsu suddenly yells. Immediately, he jumps out of his seat and runs over to me, dabbing my eyes with tissues. "Are you okay?!" he says. "What happened?!"

Ugh... No... Natsu. This isn't the time for me to talk to you. This is too much. It is all too much. I can't take this anymore. I can't stand looking at Natsu with Lisanna by his side. I hate how it's not me by his side. I really hate it.

"It's nothing," I lie with a giggle. "The ramen is just a bit spicy, so it is making me cry. You know how I hate spicy stuff right?"

"Don't lie," Natsu says, looking at me straight into the eye. "I know that this ramen isn't spicy. You and I both know that."

No way... How does he even remember so much about this one bowl of ramen? If memory serves right, he only ordered exactly the way I ordered once. Ugh... Why am I so happy about this little thing? I'm just so happy that he remembered... but my tears won't stop. He only remembers because I was his ex girlfriend. I'm not important to him anymore.

Why... Why can't I move on?

"Hey... Lucy..." Lisanna says. She pats my back and hands me more tissues. "Is something wrong? You can talk to me if it is alright with you."

The worst part about this is how I can't hate Lisanna... even though she stole Natsu from me ten years ago. She is too kind... much too kind. I can never hate her. She is like a best friend to me. No matter how hard I try, I just can't find any hatred towards her. Why...? Why must it be like this?

"Lucy..." Natsu mutters my name.

The way he says my name... the way he worries... even the way he acts. It all makes my heart go in turmoil. I can't stand it any longer. I hate being in love with him. I hate myself for ever starting this love in the first place. Why can't I even get over this stupid middle school crush anyway? It's so stupid. I'm so stupid.

Suddenly, I feel a hand coil around my wrist and jerk me off of my chair, forcing me to stand. "What the hell is with you-" But I stop in the middle to my sentence to see that it is Gray who pulled me.

"Come with me," he orders. His bangs are covering his eyes.

I glare at him angrily. "Don't tell me what to do-"

"COME WITH ME," he shouts loudly, creating a scene. Everyone is staring at the two of us.

Obediently, I allow him to lead me out of the restaurant. He stops at the front, facing me directly. The shadow he had on his eyes earlier is now gone. His eyes now show anger... and jealousy. Why...?

"You... You still like him, don't you?" Gray suddenly says.

My eyes widen. No way... does he know about Natsu? No. No. There is no way. I never even told him that Natsu used to be my boyfriend in the past. He wouldn't know.

"What are you saying?" I say, laughing loudly. "Like who?"

"Don't play dumb," Gray says angrily. "Natsu told me that whenever you lie, you tend to play a little dumb and look a little to the left, but the biggest way of telling your truth and lies is your laughter. The bigger your lie, the louder your laugh is."

What...? How...? How did Natsu know that? Did he look at me that much back when we were dating? I had no idea he knew. I had no idea. My heart skips a little. Just knowing that he thought of me like that makes me a little happy... even though he only thought of me in the past.

"Anyway, you know what I mean," Gray says. "You still like Natsu, don't you? Your ex boyfriend."

A lump seems to be in my throat. I can't even deny it. Gray is right. I know he is... And he knows that as well.

"He's getting married, you know!" Gray yells. "What even is the point of being in love with him?! There is absolutely no chance of a mutual love with him!"

"_What is the point..._?" I say quietly. Tears begin to stream down my face again. "You know what?! I wonder what is the point of all of this too!" I scream. "It's just a stupid boyfriend from high school! I also wonder why I can't get over him too! And... of course I know that it will never be mutual love!" I cry. "I... I don't want to do this pointless love either!"

Gray immediately hugs me and allow me to sink my tears into his chest. His head rests on top of mine. I grasp onto his shirt as I scream. i don't care about the people staring at me as if I were crazy.

"I'm sorry..." Gray says. "I... I said too much."

"Gray..." I mutter, crying. "Help... I want to get over this pointless love. I can't stand it anymore. I just want to get over Natsu."

Gray hugs me for five more seconds and then loosens the hug. He holds onto my arms tightly.

"Then... go out with me," he suddenly states. "I will make you forget about him."

"What...?" I ask in surprise. I think I just heard him wrong.

"Lucy Heartfilia, I love you," Gray says as he stares directly into my eyes. "So go out with me."

**\- End of Chapter 8 -**

Hi guys! Sorry for the short sucky chapters lately. I have been extremely busy these past few weeks, but now I am finally free! I promise the next chapter will be extra long! I have started writing it, and I am sure that you guys will love it!

Again, thank you for waiting for this chapter and please review!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	9. Idiot

**Natsu Dragneel**

Gray and Lucy seem to be talking over there for a long time. I watch Gray cuddle Lucy into his arms. For some reason, I feel pain in my forehead. Am I getting a headache? Ugh... from what?

Gray loosens Lucy from his hug and then faces her. He shouts something, but I can't hear what he is saying. But whatever he said, it is making Lucy blush like crazy. Never in my life have I seen her blush like that. Even when I was her boyfriend, she never blushed that red.

My blood seems to be boiling and I can feel myself getting irritated. Why am I so annoyed by this? She is just blushing because of whatever Gray just said. It has nothing to do with me. In fact, I should be happy for Gray. He probably finally got the girl he likes to notice him.

Oh wait! I know why I am so irritated! It's because I am feeling overprotective! That's right. I'm just overprotective over my ex-girlfriend! That's normal, right? I mean, even though I have broken up with her so long ago, I still want her to end up with a good guy, who is not that Ice Princess for sure. Gray is definitely not the right guy for her!

"...su... Nat... su... NATSU!" suddenly I hear Lisanna yell.

Immediately, I turn my head around and face my fiancee. "What is it?!"

"Geez, what's wrong with you?" Lisanna says. "I've called your name at least twenty times!"

"Oh... Sorry... Lisanna," I say. I turn my head back to Lucy and Gray. They seem to be having a very important discussion. Both of their faces are bright red. After a few more minutes, they walk back into the ramen shop, both of them avoiding eye contact with each other. Did they get in some argument? Or... are they just _conscious _of each other?

"S-Sorry we took long," Gray says. He uses his arm to cover his obvious blush as he sits down. "Um... Let's start eating now!"

For the rest of the time, we eat and talk, but Gray and Lucy keep acting strange. They seem to refuse to talk to each other, but they constantly keep glancing at each other from time to time.

Really... _what's wrong with them_?

**OoO**

Dinner finally passes and it is time to walk home. Usually Gray would walk Lucy, even though he lives on the opposite side of town, but today he just waves and leaves without word. Like I thought, Gray really is acting strange.

I knew it. Lucy and Gray are having an argument. I can't help but be a little worried, but at the same time, strangely a smile appears on my face. Why am I smiling? My two friends are in a argument! There's nothing good about that!

"Um... I'll be going now," Lucy says, waving to Lisanna and me. "Bye!"

"Wait! Lucy!" Lisanna suddenly shouts. She runs over to Lucy and holds her hand tightly. "It's dangerous for a girl to walk alone at this time of night!"

"Oh no," Lucy shakes her head. "I'm totally safe. Don't worry, I live in a safe neighborhood."

"But still!" Lisanna protests. "Either way, I don't think it's safe. Natsu, why don't we give her a ride on your car?"

Wait what? Me? Drive her? What the hell is Lisanna thinking?! Me driving my ex-girlfriend home sounds so absurd!

"Uh... Sure..." I reply hesitantly, despite what I am thinking.

Lucy looks at me with a confused and flustered face and then quickly breaks off our eye contact. Lisanna grabs her hand.

"Come on!" Lisanna says in a joyful tone. "Don't be shy! It's just your ex's car."

When Lisanna says _your ex_, I feel a stab on my chest. _Ex_ huh? For some reason, that little word is driving me crazy. I hate the sound of it.

I walk over to my car and open the door to the back seat. Then I nod my head to Lucy to go inside. "Get in," I say.

Lucy sits in my car as Lisanna gets on the front seat beside the driver's seat. As I sit, I can feel a shiver go down my spine. My ex girlfriend is right behind me. Man... this feels so awkward. Shouldn't Lisanna be more against this?! I mean, it must be even more awkward for her, my fiancee, to sit in the same car as my ex.

Well, whatever. I start up the car and drive out of the parking lot. For a while, there is this unsettling silence until Lisanna says, "Hey, can you bring me home first?"

"Huh? Why?" I ask.

"I just want to go home first," she replies. For some reason, her bangs are covering her eyes. I can't tell at all what she is thinking. I wonder if something happened.

"Did something happen with your family's business?" I ask as I change the route on my GPS to Lisanna's mansion. I always get lost driving there. "I can help."

Lisanna shakes her head. "No," she says softly. She looks at me and smiles. "I'm just trying to get you to understand that... that person isn't me..." she mutters to herself almost inaudibly.

"What person?" I ask.

Lisanna suddenly panics. "N-No!" she exclaims. "Nothing! No one!" she shouts suspiciously. "I was just talking to myself!"

"Um... Okay?" I say, a bit confused. There is another silence in the car. I keep glancing at the small mirror above me. I can see Lucy. She is staring out the window with her dark chocolate brown eyes. Her eyes show that she is in deep thought. She must be troubled by something. But... those eyes... back in seventh grade, those eyes were the ones that made me fall for her. Well, I don't like her anymore though. I am an adult now. I can't think about such worthless things.

Suddenly, her eyes turn to me. We make eye contact again.

"NATSU!" Lisanna suddenly shouts. "WATCH THE ROAD. WE'RE GONNA CRASH INTO THAT CAR!"

Immediately, I turn my eyes back onto the road and quickly swerve away from the car in front of me. Wow... that was close. Ugh, more like, what am I doing? I should be focusing on the road, not the damn mirror.

I drive Lisanna back to her mansion and drop her off. "Hey," I say, sticking my head out the window. "Need me to get you anything later? Like a drink or something."

"Just..." Lisanna says before she leaves. "See the truth in yourself... okay? Promise me."

"Huh?" I say, raising an eyebrow. Lately, Lisanna has been acting strange. She keeps saying things like _follow your heart_ or _find the truth in yourself_. Is she trying to hint something at me or what? Nah, I'm probably thinking too much. If she were troubled about something, she'd always tell me.

I drive away after saying goodbye to Lisanna, and now there is an awkward silence between me and Lucy. I still wonder what Gray said to her. That troubled look on her face really isn't too settling.

I see a vending machine on the street and immediately, I pull over. There seems to be a river streaming nearby with grass hills beside it.

"What?" Lucy suddenly says. "Why are we stopping here?"

I don't reply. Words just aren't coming out of my mouth. I just allow my body to move on its own.

I get out of the car and slam the door shut. Then I walk over to the back seat and throw the door open, dragging Lucy out by her wrist.

"Ow!" she exclaims as she tries to loosen my iron grip. "That hurts Natsu! Let go of me!"

But I ignore her pleas and drag her onto the green hill. Then I stop at a nice place. "Sit here and wait for me," I say.

"W-Why?" she asks.

"Just do it."

She looks at me, confused. Then she sits on the grass obediently. I walk over to the vending machine. I always order coke, so I just get that. It's only 130 yen anyway. Back in high school, Lucy would usually get either a hot coffee with sugar or a cold strawberry milk drink, depending on the weather.

Well, it is cold today... but I think Lucy would rather have the strawberry milk. I pay for the drinks and then walk back to Lucy, who is sitting there with her head on her lap, staring into the river.

"Here," I say. I throw her the strawberry milk.

Lucy catches it and stares at it. "Strawberry milk?" she mutters. Suddenly, she bursts in laughter. "Y-You remember such a little thing?!" she exclaims, trying to hide her laughter with her hand.

"Well, I know you would rather have coffee at the moment, but I thought that strawberry milk would be better in this circumstance," I say.

"You remembered my drink preferences...? How they are according to the weather?" Lucy asks with her eyes widened.

"Well, yeah," I reply, shrugging my shoulders as I twist the cap of my coke open. "It's not hard. Coffee with sugar when it's cold and strawberry milk when it's hot."

"Psh," Lucy giggles. "But it's cold today. You got me the strawberry milk," she says, sticking her tongue at me as she waves the drink around. "You made a mistake," she in a teasing voice. "Stuuupid."

"No I didn't," I say with a glare, a bit irritated. "I did it on purpose, so when you cry, you can use the milk to cool your eyes a bit."

"Huh? Cry?"

"Hey..." I say to her. I drink my coke and sigh. "If you want to cry, just cry, okay? It's not healthy to keep those tears in all the time."

"W-What are you saying?" Lucy asks, laughing and slightly looking to the left. "I don't want to cry!"

Geez, Lucy and her stupid obvious lying habits.

"Don't lie to me," I say, annoyed. "You can't lie to me."

Lucy just stares at me for a while. After about ten seconds, she just breaks down. Tears stream down her face. "Ugh..." she screams. "Why do you know me so well?!"

"Well, duh," I reply with a smile. I mess up her blonde hair. "I'm your ex. Obviously I would know everything about you."

"Ugh..." she groans. Tears are streaming non stop down her face. I wonder how long she had been holding in those tears. She is crying so much…

"Hey... Even though I'm just an ex, you can talk to me, you know," I say. "So... tell me what's wrong."

Lucy tucks her hair behind her ears and tries to wipe all of her tears. "Don't laugh... okay?"

"Of course I won't," I reply.

Lucy puts her legs together and hugs them tightly. "So... there's this guy I liked... for many years," she explains. "He... He used to be my boyfriend. But... we broke up for... reasons. Then I saw him again recently. It turns out that he has already moved on with a new girl, while I'm still stuck heads over heels in love."

Oh... That... That's terrible! Who would do such a thing to her?! I'm going to kill that guy. I'm going to strangle him until he can't stand anymore!

"Who is he?!" I shout. "I'm going to kill him!"

Lucy looks at me with the _what the hell_ look on her face. Then she sighs and stares back at the river. "You don't need to know," she mutters. Then she scratches her head. "Then... you know how I was crying at the ramen shop?"

I nod.

"I just remembered some memories about him..." she says. "Pleasant memories... and I just broke down..."

This guy... how could he do such a thing to Lucy?! But worst of all, for some reason, I can feel my heart tighten, as if I were jealous of that guy she liked. Why is that?

"And then Gray..." Lucy says uncomfortably. She looks to her left, a little habit which meant that she was troubled.

Gray? What happened with him? "Hey... What did Gray say to you earlier?" I ask. "Y-You don't have to tell me! It... It just seems to be troubling you a bit..."

All of the sudden, Lucy turns bright red. Her cheeks are red as a ripe tomato. "Ah..." she says as I take another sip of my coke. "Uh... Gray... Uh... He... Uh... He... asked me out."

My eyes widen and immediately, I drop my coke and spit it all out. It drips all over the grass, but I don't care. I can't even move a muscle.

"Oh... really?" I say. "Uh..." I can barely utter a word. My throat just feels so tight. I can't speak.

"He said that he could help me get over that guy..." Lucy says. "But... I... I don't know what to do... My mind seems to be just going crazy."

I stare at the river also. My heart feels heavy. For some reason, I just want to cry, which isn't too manly of me. "Hey… Lucy…?  
"Yeah?"

"Do you really like this guy that much?"

Lucy's cheeks turn slightly pink. She grabs a couple of pebbles and starts throwing them into the river. "Y-Yeah…"

"Then, don't give up on him," I say. "Don't give up until he actually gets married or something with that girl. Even if you only have a slight chance of getting him, it's still a chance… right?"

What the hell are you saying, Natsu?! My mouth just moved on its own. My heart still feels heavy… as if I were jealous of the guy she liked.

Am… Am I jealous?

No, no way. Psh, why would I be jealous? I have Lisanna… that's right, I have Lisanna. I don't need anyone else. I am going to marry Lisanna.

"Chance… huh?" Lucy mutters. I catch a slight smile on her face, but it soon disappears. "But… he is already going to get married soon. I… I'm too late."

Lucy grabs the strawberry milk and holds it on her eyes. I assume that she is crying. Her eyes are all swollen now. I guess it was a good thing that I got her the milk.

Suddenly, I do something that seems to make me completely out of my mind.

I _hug _her.

I put her tiny body in my arms and put my head over hers, practically cuddling her.

Well… it's fine to do this… right? I mean, I'm just comforting her. There's no special meaning behind it anyway. I'm just comforting a friend… _just a friend_. That is all… right?

Then… why is my heart beating so heavily?

Maybe I am just tired…

"I think we should go now," Lucy suddenly says, standing away from my embrace. Her bangs are covering her eyes. I can't tell what she is thinking or feeling. But… I can see tiny drops of water dripping from her cheeks.

"Oh… right," I say. I get up and walk over to my car. I open the door to the passenger seat next to the driver's seat for Lucy. "Get in."

Lucy sits in the car as I walk back to the driver's seat. I get into the car, still thinking about my heartbeat. It just won't settle down.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy suddenly asks, surprising me.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-What?" I ask, obviously stuttering way too much.

"Do you need my address to my apartment?" she asks. She begins to play around with her hair, twisting it into knots again, a sign that she is nervous. "I-It's been awhile since you've been there after all…"

I wonder why she is so nervous. Well, Lucy has always been weird.

"Don't need it," I say. "How could I forget it anyway? I used to walk you there everyday. Besides, it was like, barely two blocks away from my old house."

Her eyes widen as she looks at me with amazement. Once she notices that I am staring at her, she quickly looks down at the ground. Her eyes stare at the ground, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Geez, what's wrong with her? And what's wrong with me? My heart beating this fast is not normal at all… not at all.

"You… Why… How…" Lucy mutters.

"What?" I ask.

She faces me with her chocolate brown eyes full of tears. "Why do you always seem to remember so much about me? Someone like me…"

When she suddenly asks me that, no words come out of my mouth. Why do I remember so much? Lucy is just my ex… so why? Do I even know Lisanna as well as I know Lucy? Wait a second, why am I even comparing them to each other?! Ugh, I'm so confused with myself.

"I… uh…" I scratch my head. My face is feeling hot. "I just uh… I mean, what's wrong with that?"

With that, we have another silence. I start the car and start driving towards her apartment. I wonder if it still looks the same. The building was red with two floors. It was quite a small apartment compared to my mansion. Her bed was white with pink bed sheets. She had a small wooden table with only three chairs. Next to the table was a coffee table with a red sofa… and a dresser with a mirror. She also always had a huge messy stack of books on the table. I wonder if it looks any different. Driving on these roads to that little apartment… really is nostalgic.

When we get there, I stop the car and open the car door. "Ah, we're here," I say.

"Ah Natsu!" Lucy suddenly exclaims. She leans towards me with her hand extended. Her face is getting closer and closer to mine. For some reason, all I can focus on are her lips. They are dark pink. I see her bite her lip. But instead of putting her hand on my cheek, she places it on my forehead.

"W-W-What are you doing?!" I shout, flustered. I fall out of my seat by accident, falling out of the door and landing on the concrete. "Ow!" Ugh, I just fell on my tailbone. Ugh… It hurts.

"Are you alright?!" Lucy exclaims. She runs out of the car and kneels next to me, helping me back up. "Did you hit your tailbone?!"

"Yeah…" I mumble, a bit embarrassed. Then I look at her face. She is so close… I could almost-

Suddenly, Lucy puts her hand on my forehead again. "Your temperature is really high!" she exclaims in worry. "Do you have a fever?! Oh gosh, we should get you medicine, quick!"

"N-N-No! I'm fine!" I exclaim. "N-Not sick!"

"Yes you are!" Lucy yells angrily. "Do you even have medicine at home?"

"Uh… I don't-"

"Probably not," she says. "You never get fevers after all."

What? How does she remember that? My heart begins to beat faster again. Ugh… my face is so hot. I haven't experienced this feeling in so long. Perhaps I really am sick. My chest kind of hurts a little…

Lucy takes my hand and begins to drag me.

"Wh-Where are we going?!" I exclaim, trying to get her to let me go. I can't stand it when she holds my hand for some reason. It makes my hand sweat like crazy. How embarrassing… Her hand is so warm… and soft, like a girl's hand, unlike my big, muscular hand.

"To my apartment obviously," Lucy says angrily. "Come on, you need to get some kind of medicine. Ugh… you probably never got a fever before, that's why you don't have medicine… Idiots never get sick after all."

"_Idiot_?!" I exclaim in anger. "What idiot?!"

"_You_," Lucy says in a teasing voice, laughing. Her laugh is kind of cute… like the silver bells in Christmas time… Wait, what am I thinking?! Her laugh sounds more like a witch's laughter while boiling some disgusting potion! Yeah, that's right! A witch!

"I'm not an idiot!" I shout.

"Yeah, sure. I.D.I.O.T.," Lucy says, sticking her tongue out.

Gosh, she is such a kid. We are twenty-four now, geez. What's wrong with her? Wait a second… I touch my face. I'm… smiling… and laughing. I'm having fun. When was the last time I laughed so fully? Ever since my second semester of high school, I never laughed this much.

Lucy drags me into her apartment and then lets go of my hand to open the door. Suddenly, my hand feels so cold. It must be the winter cold, haha. Nothing wrong. Nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong at all.

She opens the door and then clicks the lights on. I make a soft smile. Everything is still the same. The pink sheets on the white bed, the wooden table with books laying all over it messily, and the red sofa. All of them are still arranged the same way.

"Natsu," Lucy says. "Over here."

I walk over to her as she pulls out the medicine. "Take this when you get home, okay?" she says. "It will make you a bit drowsy after you take it after all. I don't want you falling asleep while driving back."

"O-Okay," I say as I take the box of pills in my hand. As I take it, our hands touch again… another touch huh?

"Natsu, are you really alright? Maybe I should drive you back instead…" Lucy says.

"W-Why would you need to do that?!" I exclaim. "I'm perfectly okay!"

"But your face just got even redder!" Lucy says. "See! Look, your face just got redder again!"

"N-No! I-It isn't!" I protest. "I… uh… gotta go. S-See ya. And thanks for the pills."

I slam the door shut and run back to my car. My heart is beating so fast. I quickly glance at my front mirror and my eyes widen. Lucy wasn't wrong. My face really is red and my chest hurts like crazy. I better eat those pills as soon as I get home!

**OoO**

Man, finally home. It really has been a long day. I run back to my room. Then I look at my mirror. Huh? It seems like my face isn't red anymore. Also, my heart isn't beating that fast. My chest doesn't hurt much either. Guess my fever got better. That was fast.

I place the pills that Lucy gave me on my desk and stare at them. I wonder how long these pills have been at her house. I check the expiration date. Whoa! This thing expires today! Lucy! Ugh, Lucy and her clumsiness. She probably accidentally gave me the wrong one! That idiot! She could've killed me!

I sigh and I laugh to myself. Gosh, that idiot.

**\- End of Chapter 9 -**

Hi guys! This chapter is just a bit longer than the normal ones! It's just a little apology for not updating so often. Because I have more time now, I'll probably be updating a lot more. Maybe the chapters will be a bit longer than normal like this one too!

Again, thank you so much for reading and please review to tell me your thoughts!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	10. A New Love

**Lucy Heartfilia**

Quickly, I run into my apartment and shut the door. Come on… Breathe in… Breathe out. Natsu… He was just in here. What the hell was I thinking? I didn't have to bring him inside my house! I could've just gotten those pills and given it to him outside.

Why can't I even stop this whole thing in the first place…? Whenever I am around him, suddenly I just… don't act like myself anymore. It's like trying to build a building without a blueprint, or a plan.

_Ring. Ring. _All the sudden, I hear my phone ring. I look at my screen with **Juvia Lockser** on it. I press the green button to answer it.

"Hello? Juvia? Yeah. Sleep over? Sure! How about my place?" I say on the phone. "Alright. See you tonight then."

I take a deep breath. Juvia is coming over soon for a sleepover. She is my best friend from college. She was also my roommate. Gray, she, and I were always pretty close.

To be honest, I actually really want to talk to her because of the situation with Gray. Gray and she are childhood friends. She would understand Gray more than anyone. Perhaps she can help me with my… problem. Still… I had no idea about what Gray felt about me. But I don't know what to do… I mean, to go out with him… It seems so… out of my mind.

A few hours past, and I hear my doorbell ring. Juvia must be here! Quickly, I run over to the door and swing it open. I see the familiar ocean blue hair and eyes. "Juvia!" I exclaim. I give her a big hug. "Hey! I missed you!"

"Same," she says, hugging me back. She lets go of me. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" I reply. Then I suddenly remember Gray. I wonder when I should bring up the topic…

Juvia bends down and looks at me in the eye. "Really?" she says. "You don't look too good to me."

I make a small smile. "Heh, you always know me so well, huh?" I say.

"So…" Juvia's eyes suddenly seem to have hearts in them. Then she makes a smirk. "Any love stories?"

I immediately squint my eyes and make a straight face. She always asks me that. Whenever I got a new boyfriend, she'd always be the first to know back in college. Usually I'd say no, but I figure that this is my chance to talk to her about… Gray.

"Yeah…" I mumble. I walk over to my bed to sit and hug my pillow tightly. "It's… about… Natsu and Gray."

"G-Gray…?" Juvia says. For some reason, her voice seems to be stuttering. Nah, it's probably just my imagination. "And Natsu? Isn't Natsu Gray's best friend?"

I start my explanation with what happened with my reunion with Natsu at his wedding. I tell her about how I have been in love with him for ten years and just kept on dating people to forget about him. I told her about how I tricked myself into thinking that I moved on and how I really didn't…

"And then… Gray…" I say. "Gray… Yesterday… he… he confessed to me."

Suddenly, Juvia's face contorts. Her face stares at me as if her little world just ended. "No…" she mutters to herself.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Wrong?" Juvia asks, confused. Was I just imagining that…? Or was Juvia… No, I had to be imagining it.

"Anyway…" I say. "What… What do you think I should do?"

"W-What you should do?" Juvia says, stuttering. Is she not feeling comfortable with me asking this? Gray is her childhood friend after all. She must feel awkward. Maybe I should just stop asking. I don't want her to help me if she is feeling this much discomfort.

"Just do what you think will bring you the most happiness, Lucy," Juvia suddenly says after the large moment of silence.

"Happiness…?" I repeat her words. "What… What even is happiness?"

Juvia chuckles. "Well, that's a hard question." She looks at my ceiling and sighs. "I… I think that happiness is whatever you decide it to be."

"Psh," I laugh. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Like for me, happiness is a nice bath," she says. "You know how I like the feeling of water after all."

"Happiness huh…" I mumble. I wonder what happiness is to me. Is happiness loving Natsu? No, definitely not. Loving him like this… is more like torture.

Suddenly, tears fall out of my eyes again. Since when was I such a crier? "Juvia… tell me…" I mutter. "Tell me… what am I suppose to do? How am I supposed to just… forget about… Natsu? What am I supposed to-"

"Start a new love," Juvia says, sticking her tongue out. "Obviously."

"H-Huh?"

"Turn Natsu into a memory and move on," Juvia says. "You don't have to forget."

I don't? I don't understand what she is saying. How am I supposed to get over Natsu by not forgetting about him? Juvia's advice was always like this in the past actually. I never understood it in the beginning, but I would always understand it in the future.

"What?" I say. "How am I supposed to move on if I don't forget?"

"Lucy, do you know the definition of moving on?" Juvia says. She scratches her head and smiles at me. "Gray told me this once... back when I lost an important person. He said that moving on didn't mean forgetting the past. It just means accepting the past."

Accepting the past? What is that supposed to mean? Juvia's advice really is confusing. But, I think I sort of understand it. I just have to accept that Natsu is part of my past, right? Then I have to move on to a new love.

I wonder if starting a new love… would actually be that easy… I tried to do it so many times after Natsu and I broke up in high school, but it never worked. Maybe it was because it wasn't _true love. _

"Juvia…"

"Yeah?"

"I'll try it," I say. "Starting a new love… a true love."

**OoO**

The next day, Juvia helps me get my makeup done. Then, we quickly get into her car and drive over to her house. Next to her house is… _his_. They are childhood friends after all. It is normal that they would live next to each other. Juvia and I go inside her house first.

"Alright, Lucy," Juvia says. "You can do this. Just calm down."

"Y-Yeah…" I reply. "It's going to be okay, right?" I walk towards her door, about to go outside to _his _house.

"Wait!" suddenly Juvia shouts towards me. "Wait… Lucy… Don't go yet…" She is grasping onto my dress, making me stop.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Um… You… Do you really like him…? Gray, I mean…" Juvia says quietly.

I stare out the window. "I don't know," I mumble. "But… sometimes, Gray would make my heartbeat from the slightest touch… That's a sign, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Juvia replies. "I… I guess." Her tone of voice sounds a bit unsure. But, I'm sure that I am just imagining it. I mean, I have to be. She already explained to me yesterday. I was a bit worried that she had some kind of feelings for Gray, but she said that there weren't any. Gray is just a childhood friend to her.

"Ah… Lucy," Juvia says before I leave. "G-Good luck!"

But… despite what she says, for some reason, when I leave her house, she looks as if she is about to cry. No, I _must _be imagining it… right? She said so herself. Gray is just a childhood friend to her, like a younger brother.

She said that… but… why do I have this sense of guilt that is rubbing all over me?

I shake my head. No, I am probably just overthinking all of this. There is no way she likes Gray! After all, liking a childhood friend is almost like falling in love with your own sibling, ridiculous. For example, Sting is my childhood friend, but I don't feel a thing for him. He is just like an older brother figure to me. It's going to be okay.

I walk towards Gray's house and take a deep breath before entering. I clench my hands into fists. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale-

Suddenly, I hear the door unlock and slowly it opens. Oh shoot. I'm not mentally prepared yet! Lines! Lines! Uh… What should I say?! What should I do-

"Lu… cy…?" Gray says. He is wearing a blue beanie and scarf with a heavy coat. It seems like he was just about to go outside.

Oh shoot.

Gray looks at me, confused. "Ah… what are you doing here?"

"Uh… Er…" I mumble. "Ah… Ahaha… I was just… ah… taking a stroll!" I mentally slap myself. What the hell am I saying? I am so obvious. "And uh… I was wondering if you wanted to come with me…?"

"Sure," Gray says. He takes a step out of his house and locks his door. "Where to?"

"Anywhere," I say. "Just a place where we can just be alone." Oh shoot, now I just ruined everything. Mental slap in the face. Ugh. Why am I so embarrassing?! He totally has the wrong idea now!

We walk on the icy road. It is almost Christmas time. It seems so long since I saved Lisanna from the fire on Natsu and her wedding day. Wow, it is so cold that I can see both Gray and my breaths.

"Hey Gray… How did you know Natsu and I used to date?" I ask.

"Natsu..." Gray says. "I asked him to support me in my love… so he told me all your habits and favorite things, like food, clothing, and such. Then I asked how he knew so much about you… and he told me… that you were his ex-girlfriend."

"Oh… I see."

Suddenly, Gray takes off his scarf and wraps it around my neck. My heart skips a beat in surprise. "Sorry!" he says. "About yesterday… I confessed to you in such a terrible circumstance! I never imagined to confess to you for such an impure reason! I… I just…" He tightly grasps onto the scarf that is now around my neck and puts his forehead on my shoulder. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt anymore…" he cries.

I can feel his hot salty tears sink into my jacket. I can't help but hug him tightly. A mountain of guilt just seems to bury me right in that moment. I made him worry so much about me. He was always there for me while I was just there, constantly looking at his best friend, Natsu Dragneel.

"Gray… Look at me!" I exclaim loudly.

Slowly, he lets go of me and stares into my chocolate brown eyes. I gulp in nervousness. When he looks at me like that, I feel like I am going insane from all the things I have made him go through.

"I'll look at you!" I say. "I'll always be by your side. I won't hurt you any longer. So… my answer to your '_impure_' confession…" For some reason, I suddenly feel a lump in my throat. A tiny voice saying _You'll regret this_ rings in my head, but I try not to think about it. This way, I can be happy. Everyone will be happy.

"My answer is yes," I finish my sentence. "I will go out with you, Gray."

It is time I move on.

**\- End of Chapter 10 -**

Hi guys! I have decided that since I have more time now, I will try my best to update twice a week. Thank you so much for waiting for this chapter!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	11. Be True to Yourself

"_**Here, let me spell it out for you. Since the beginning of our relationship, you **__**never**_ _**got over Lucy."**_

**Natsu Dragneel**

Ever since I was small, I always admired my father, Igneel Dragneel, the owner of most of the land in this city I live in. Dragneel Real Estate is what our company is called. Even now as an adult, I still respect my father even though he can be quite strict.

In the world of the wealthy, of course wealth and fame come before anything else… even love, especially for someone like me who is going to take over the company once my father retires. This is why my fiancee is Lisanna Strauss, the daughter of the Strauss Real Estate. Her family's company owns the second most land in Tokyo after our company. It is a _big _deal that we are going to get married. This way, our companies can combine, and when the two most dominant estate companies combine, I'm sure you can figure out what will happen: an overflow of wealth and dominance.

That is why I can not allow my own feelings to affect me any longer. After all, this is the company my father owns… I must protect it.  
**OoO**

"Natsu! Natsu!" a voice screams at me. "Oh my god. WAKE THE HELL UP!"

Quickly, I open my eyes and sit up. Lisanna is shaking me. "What?!" I shout angrily.

"Idiot! We are in the middle of a meeting!" she scolds. "Look! Everyone is staring at us! Anyway, your father is about to make an important announcement, idiot!"

Oh shoot. I fell asleep during a family meeting again! Ugh, I really am not meant for all this formal stuff. "O-Oh," I say. I look over to my father. He is glaring angrily. Whoops, I probably accidentally embarrassed him in front of all of our family members again. "Ah…" I bow my head to my father. "S-Sorry. Please go on."

Father makes a nod and then goes back to his straight face. He stands up, placing his hands on the table. "As I was saying, I am going to retire soon."

Wait, what?! What is Father saying?! Retiring?! He is only in his early sixties!

"And although my son seems to be quite the laggard, he is very hardworking when he puts his mind to it," my father says. "Therefore, I will be handing over the CEO position to my oldest son, Natsu Dragneel."

What. What. _What?! _What in the world is he saying?!

"W-Wait Father," I say, standing up. "I can not take this position!" I know I have to be careful with my words. I can't talk casually or else it would be considered disrespectful. "I do not believe that I am prepared to handle such responsibilities."

"Son," Father says. "It is time that I retire and hand this company to you. I have talked about this with your mother. We have trained you since you were born to be a CEO and you had spectacular results. We both believe that you have the ability to handle it."

Come on Natsu. Think of an excuse… any excuse.

"Father, I am not married yet," I say. "I do not believe that I can take on this company without a wife."

"We know that," my mother says, standing up. "That is why we will have you married with Lisanna this Friday. We have booked a whole restaurant for your wedding."

Marriage…? Already? For some reason, this time, when they speak of this wedding, I do not want to accept it. I know that it is necessary for the company, but I do not want it. I have to say something, anything to stop this.

"Mother, I love Lisanna; however, I do think that this is too short of a notice-"

"_Please give us more time!_" suddenly, Lisanna shouts as she stands up abruptly. My eyes widen. Out of all people to go against this, it is Lisanna. No… No way. Lisanna is usually too scared to speak up for herself. She always keeps quiet and follows whatever my and her parents tell her to do. I look at the other people in the meeting. Everybody is shocked from her sudden outburst.

"Mister and Missus Dragneel," Lisanna says. "Like Natsu said, I do think this is too short of a notice. I would like it if you gave us more time to plan things out."

Suddenly, Lisanna's mother stands up. "Lisanna, I have already spoken with Natsu's parents about this. Also, we have already booked the place. If we want to change the dates, it is already too late. I believe that you and Natsu should have already been prepared for this since freshmen year in high school."

"B-But…" Lisanna stares at the ground. "Yes Mother… I understand."

And with that, our wedding is set to be this coming Friday… in six days.

**OoO**

"Natsu… I'm sorry…" Lisanna says. We are in her room, sitting on a sofa. "I couldn't stop them…"

"It's alright," I reply. "I was really happy that you stood up for me. But, why were you so against it? You usually don't really mind these kind of things."

"Because…" Lisanna stares at the tiled marble floor. "I didn't want you to marry for such reasons-"

_Ring. Ring._

Huh? Is that my phone? "Ah, sorry Lisanna," I say. "Let me shut that off now." I take out my phone to hang up, but my eyes widen to see who is on the screen.

It is Gray.

Why did he call me? That's odd. He isn't much of a caller. Usually he would just text me.

"It's Gray," I say to Lisanna. "I think it's important. So I'm going to pick up okay?"

"Alright," she says.

I press the green button and put the phone next to my ear. "Hello?"

"NATSU. OH MY GOSH. NATSU!" Gray screams like a girl in the phone.

I take the phone a little away from my ear. Ouch. That hurt. "W-What is it, Gray?"

"Out. Yes. Replied. Lucy."

"Uh… Gray," I say. "You aren't making sense."

"LUCY!" Gray shouts. "S-She… She… She… She…"

"Gray, speak English," I say, a bit annoyed. "I can not understand you at all."

"Lucy said yes," Gray says. "She said yes to my confession. Oh my god… Natsu… I feel like I just used up all my good luck. Lucy and I are now dating-"

I can't hear him after he says that. It is as though my ears just went deaf. Ice Princess and Lucy… are going out? Wow… Haha… That was unexpected. I remember that yesterday, Lucy told me about this. But… I never thought that she would say yes. It is just so unbelievable. Out of all people... she chose _him...?_

Ow… My chest hurts. Am I sick again? Maybe that's why my senses are starting to dull.

"Natsu? Natsu?" Gray says. "Hello? Are you there?"

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. What's wrong with me? Say something! Come on! Why… Why isn't my mouth moving…?

Suddenly, Lisanna takes my phone out of my hand and places it in her ear. "Sorry, Natsu fell asleep," she lies. "He's been really tired lately, so could you call back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure," I hear Gray say on the phone. "Thanks Lisanna. Bye then."

"Bye," Lisanna says. Then she shuts off the phone. "IDIOT!" she instantly cries, kicking me in the shin.

"Ow!" I shriek, falling to the ground. "What the hell was that for?!"

"God!" Lisanna says angrily. "Do I really need to spell it out for you?!"

"Spell what?!" I argue. "Just saying, I have won first place in every Spelling Bee since I was six-"

"Not that spelling!" Lisanna says in annoyance. "I meant Lucy! Lucy Heartfilia!"

"Lucy?" I say. My heart skips a beat when I hear her name. Oddly enough, I feel sick again. "I can spell her name perfectly! L-U-C-Y, H-E-A-R-"

"Oh my god," Lisanna says, facepalming herself. "Not that! Are you stupid or what?!"

"Stupid?!" I argue. "_Me_? I practically had the highest GPA in my whole graduating class-"

"Not that kind of stupidity!" Lisanna sighs. "I'm saying that you are the most clueless and dense guy I have ever met!"

I can feel a headache in my head. Lisanna has never acted this way before. Now I am annoyed. She has no right to call _me, _the Natsu Dragneel, clueless and dense. I have a way higher IQ than her. There is no way she has that right to say that about me.

"You still don't get it, don't you?" Lisanna says. "I'm saying that you are clueless about love."

_Love_? "I am not clueless!" I argue back. "I practically have the definition of love memorized! Love, noun. An intense feeling of-"

"NO!" Lisanna groans madly. I can tell that she is beginning to get impatient with me. "Here, let me spell it out for you. Since the beginning of our relationship, you _never _got over Lucy."

Wait… what… did she just say?

"W-What are you saying, Lisanna?" I say, confused. "I-I think I heard you wrong…"

"You _love _Lucy! Idiot!" Lisanna yells.

"Love…?" I say. I force a laugh out. "I don't know what you are talking about Lisanna. I love you, not Lucy."

"Natsu…" Lisanna says. She looks at me with piercing eyes, not avoiding any eye contact, showing her seriousness. "You… You have to follow your heart, Natsu," she says. She stares at the wall. "Can't you see? You're going the wrong way. I am not the right path. _She _is."

Path…? What… What is Lisanna saying? I love her. Lucy is just the past. There is nothing between Lucy and me anymore. We were ten years ago. I am totally over her. I've been over her since forever… so what is Lisanna saying? There is just no way I could love Lucy.

"Lisanna," I say in the calmest voice possible. "I think you are just tired. Maybe you should take a nap-"

"Natsu," Lisanna says in a stern voice. I have never seen her with this serious face before. "I am not tired. Can't you see? Do you really think that meeting Lucy and Gray at the amusement park was _really _a coincidence?"

"W-Wait, what?" I say, confused.

"I gave Gray two tickets to the park," Lisanna says. "I knew that he was going to invite Lucy. I mean, who else would he invite?"

Wait… Lisanna planned the whole amusement park meeting with Lucy and Gray?

"And that time I suggested going to the ramen place that you and Lucy spent so much time in back when you were dating," Lisanna says. "The ferris wheel incident with the manager mistaking you and Lucy for a couple, me asking you to drive Lucy home…" Her eyes squint, showing how serious she is. "Did you _really _think that was all a coincidence?"

I am speechless. I don't know how to reply.

"I planned it all out, Natsu," Lisanna says sternly. "I _always _knew that you still had feelings for Lucy. You were just too much of a coward to admit it."

"I… I don't understand… Lisanna," I say. Although I am very confident about how she is wrong about my feelings to Lucy, for some reason, my voice is stuttering. My body keeps shaking in fear. Why am I so scared? Why do her words make me so… stunned and frightened?

"I-I… I think you're mistaking things!" I try to explain. "I love you, Lisanna. There is no way that I am in love with Lu-"

"Then kiss me."

"What?"

"_Kiss me,_" Lisanna repeats.

"W-Wait a moment!" I exclaim. "Isn't it a bit early to do that-"

"_I _am your fiancee, yet you always have refused to kiss me," Lisanna says. "If you really love me, then kiss me."

I gulp. She is not wrong. Ever since the beginning of our engagement, I have never kissed her. It never really occurred to me that I should kiss her since we are lovers. I guess, I never could just bring myself to do it. I could hug her, hold her hand, cuddle her, but never kiss her.

Taking a deep breath, I put one hand on her waist and another on her head. Then, slowly, I bring my head in to kiss her as I close my eyes. It's just a touching of the lips, right? No big deal. It will only take a second! No problem at all-

But, suddenly, as if my body is moving on its own, I quickly push away Lisanna's body at the last moment and take a step back. What… What was that? It was as if an imaginary force just rejected Lisanna and jerked me away.

"See," Lisanna says. She makes a kind, yet crestfallen, smile. "You… You can't do it, can you?"

Why… Why can't I do it? I touch my lips. They are trembling. My whole body is shaking. What in the world is wrong with me?

"You can't do it because I am not the one you love," Lisanna explains, as if she read my mind. She walks over to me and places the tip of her finger on the center of my chest. "I am only an _extra _in your story, not your lover. I'm just another supporting character."

I just stare at Lisanna, speechless at her words. How long has she been keeping all of this to herself? How long have I been hurting her like this…?

"Natsu… you love Lucy," Lisanna says in a quiet voice. I know that she is just trying her best not to cry. She has always been the type to hide all of her feelings to herself. "Do you understand that now?"

I… I love Lucy…? Now that I think about it, it all makes sense. It is like putting together a puzzle. I always had remembered everything about Lucy, every single detail. Being with her to this day still makes my heart beat wildly, like a child's. I was also against Gray and her dating from the start. I always made that excuse, _It's because I'm her ex, _but an ordinary ex wouldn't care _that _much about his former relationship.

"You understand that now, r-right?" Lisanna says. I can tell that she is on the verge of tears. She stares into my eyes and then gives me a big hug. Then she lets go of me after a few seconds. "If you understand, then go," she says.

She pushes me out of her room and then shuts the door, leaving me out. "Natsu… thank you though," she whispers through the door. "You really were kind… to someone like me. I really did love you."

"W-Wait!" I exclaim. "Lisanna!" I try to open the door, but now it is locked. I can't get in.

"Steal Lucy back from Gray already, stupid," Lisanna says through the door. "Don't leave my efforts to get you to realize your feelings in vain."

I can't move. It is as if all of the guilt of making Lisanna go through all of this is drowning me. I can't breathe.

"Hurry up!" Lisanna screams. "Idiot Natsu! Be... Be true to yourself."

"But Lisanna-"

"_Go!_"

And with that, I ran.

**\- End of Chapter 11 -**

~ **_Metallic Snow_**


	12. Puppet of the Dragneel Estate

**Natsu Dragneel**

Run. Run. _Run!_

Lisanna… what she did for me… she is too kind. What I have done to her is unforgivable… I'm sorry Lisanna. I faked my feelings for you because I wanted to run away. I was afraid of my own true feelings. I'm sorry for lying to you all this time.

I run to the garage. There is no time to start my car, so I grab my helmet and get on my motorcycle instead. I have to get _there _as fast as possible.

I start the engine and quickly ride. I can feel the wind splattering over my face as I ride full speed. As I ride toward the exit of the Strauss' mansion, suddenly I see my father standing right in the center of the exit with his arms crossed, as if he were waiting for me.

Quickly I brake. "Father…?" I say. "What… What are you doing here?"

Father glares at me. "Isn't it more like, what are you doing here, Natsu Dragneel? Especially at this hour," he says. "Aren't you supposed to be with your fiancee, preparing for your wedding?"

Oh shoot. How am I supposed to past him? It is way past midnight. No one is allowed to leave the Strauss Estate and I am expected to stay at Lisanna's room for the night. Should I make up an excuse? Or should I tell the truth…?

"Natsu," Father says again. "Explain yourself. _What _are you doing at this hour?"

"I am seeing Gray," I say, technically not lying. "I have to tell him something important, and it _has _to be now."

"You can use your cell phone to call him," Father says. "Now go back to the mansion-"

"It has to be in person! You don't understand! It is extremely important that I see him now!" I shout, not caring whether or not I am interrupting him. Usually I wouldn't dare speak against my father, but this time I will fight for myself. I won't run away anymore. I will force my way, even if it means I have to cut ties with my own family.

"_Nothing _is more important than our company," Father says. "We are done here. Now go back to your fiancee-"

"She isn't my fiancee anymore," I argue. "I refuse to marry her."

Father's eyes suddenly widen. "What did you just say?"

"I won't marry her," I repeat. "I refuse to marry someone I do not have feelings for-"

"YOU WILL MARRY HER," Father shouts. "The company is relying on you-"

"Then I'll cut ties with the company," I say angrily. I can't believe the words I am saying. Cutting ties with the company? Am I crazy? My heart beats in fear. I am afraid of my father, but I have to fight. The cold of the night makes me shiver, but I will stand out here as long as it takes to get permission to see Gray. I have to see Gray and _tell _him.

"I will not allow it," Father yells. "I will not allow you to cut ties!"

"Then choose," I say with the most serious and stern face I have ever put up in my life. "Either I leave and cut ties with this family and company, or you allow me to marry who _I _like and I inherit the Dragneel Estate, becoming CEO just as you like."

"Natsu Igneel Dragneel," my father says. I gulp. Whenever he uses my full name, I know he means serious business. "I will _not _tolerate this behavior any longer."

My eyes widen. I can feel my teeth chatter from fear. "I… I'm… sor-" I stop myself from speaking. Dammit, I almost apologized! I have to fight! Fight Natsu! Don't let him provoke you.

"I am smart," I say loudly. "I had the highest IQ and GPA in every school I have gone to. Even if I quit ties with this family, I can easily find another job. There isn't one company who doesn't know my name."

"But-"

"I am not afraid to cut ties with you, Father," I say. "The woman I am in love with is more important to me than this stupid company. Wealth? Fame? They can suck my ass. I don't care about any of those."

My father is speechless. He is opening his mouth, but no words are coming out. It is obvious why. I have never swore or used such casual language to him before. He is shocked.

"I am serious about this. I won't just be your puppet and do whatever you want anymore," I say. I point to him. "Now choose. It's either me or nothing."

Father looks at me for a moment. His eyes narrow at me. Then, to my surprise, slowly he steps to the side, allowing enough room for my motorcycle to run past.

"Father…" I say. I am so happy that tears are about to pour out of my eyes, but there is no time for that. I have to go now.

I make a small bow to my father before I go. "Thank you," I whisper, not sure if he can hear. But he makes a slight nod to me, allowing me to go.

Quickly, I fire my engine and ride as fast as I can away from the mansion. My eyes are streaming tears of happiness. I can't believe what I just did. The feeling is just so incredible. I did it. I _finally _did it. I fought against my father… and won. I am no longer the puppet of the Dragneel Estate. I am my own. I am _me_.

I watch the lights past quickly away from me as I ride faster and faster. The scenery has never looked so blurry to me. I am way past the speed limit, but I can't stop. I have to get to Gray and tell him _that_.

Now there is only one last battle to win… _Lucy_.

**OoO**

I am finally at Gray's house. I stop my motorcycle and take off my helmet. Taking a deep breath, I stand up and get off of my vehicle. My heart is beating fast again. I am so afraid. I may lose my friendship with my best friend. He may hate and despise me for the rest of his life… But even so, I am willing to risk it all. I will do it. I will tell him my true feelings.

I walk to his front door. My finger shakes as I press his doorbell, but I force myself to press it anyway.

I close my eyes and force myself to relax and concentrate. Suddenly, I hear the door creak open.

"Natsu?"

Huh? Is it just me, or did Gray's voice sound… feminine?

"Uh… Natsu?"

Wait a second, that voice! I open my eyes and instead of seeing Gray, I see Lucy.

"Ah!" I scream in surprise. Shoot! It's really Lucy! In person! Oh god, I am not prepared for this! My heartbeat increases just from looking at her face. I can feel myself turning bright red and my chest hurts like crazy. Damn it, this isn't a sickness! This is a reaction to someone you love! Ow, why does it have to be so painful?!

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Lucy exclaims. "Uh… Uh… Gray! You're looking for Gray, right?"

"Lucy?" I hear Gray's voice from inside. "Is there something wrong?"

Gray walks to the doorway and we make eye contact. "Oh," he says. "What's up Natsu?"

I gulp. I have never been so scared to see Gray. Alright, deep breaths Natsu. It is just Gray. It's _just _Gray. No need to panic! "I need to talk to you," I say. "Just me and you."

Gray raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh… okay? Is something up? More like, couldn't you just call me? It would be a lot more convenient for you since your house is far from mine, right?"

"It's urgent," I say. "And it must be in person."

Gray scratches the back of his head. "Um… alright then." He turns to Lucy. "You wanna wait in my room?"

"Oh, it's alright," Lucy says. "It's getting really late. I should go back to my apartment."

"It's dangerous at night!" I exclaim without thinking. "I-I'll take you back!"

Lucy looks at me with a confused look. I guess it is a bit out of my character to say such a weird thing so loudly. Argh! I can feel my face flush in embarrassment.

"It's fine," Lucy says, ultimately rejecting my offer. "I have my own car to drive back, so… it's okay."

Wow. I have never felt so rejected in my life… I look over at Gray. He is eyeing me suspiciously. Shoot. Did he catch on to my feelings?!

"Well, see you Gray," Lucy says, walking over to him. She gives him a hug before leaving. Damn it, I can't stand watching this couple anymore. Even a little hug is driving me insane. They just got together today, huh... But, Lucy told me herself that she didn't have feelings for Gray when he confessed to her! So... did she have a change in feelings? Why?

"Bye Natsu," she says, waving to me. Then she shuts the door and leaves.

Wait a second, it is one in the morning… WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING AT GRAY'S HOUSE AT THIS HOUR?! I turn to look at Gray and narrow my eyes. Don't tell me... DID HE DO SOMETHING TO HER?! No, wait. Gray isn't that type of person. He probably didn't even dare lay a hand on Lucy.

"Uh… Natsu…?" Gray says. "Seriously man, what's wrong?"

"I came here to tell you something," I say. "I came here to start a war with you."

"What the hell are you saying, Natsu?" Gray asks, confused.

"I'm in love with Lucy Heartfilia."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm in love with Lucy Heartfilia," I repeat.

"Huh?" Gray says. "Wait, what?!"

"I'm in love with your girlfriend," I say. "And I am going to take her back."

Gray's eyes glare at me. "Why are you saying this now after all of this time? You had ten freaking _years _to say something! But _now _you say something?! Right after Lucy became mine? You're too late, Natsu. I'll never hand her to you."

"I was a coward," I say loudly. That's right. I was afraid. I was afraid of my own feelings. I was afraid of how my father would react, so I pretended to love Lisanna and even tricked myself. But I won't lie to myself any longer.

"I lied to myself, but I won't anymore!" I exclaim. "I will take back Lucy!"

Gray leans back and raises his head, something he does when he challenges someone. He smirks and laughs a bit. "Fine, bring it on, Natsu Dragneel."

**\- End of Chapter 12 -**

Hi guys! Thanks for waiting for this chapter! Sorry that it's just a ton of arguing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review if you have any comments!

_**~ Metallic Snow**_


	13. Natsu the Stalker

**Lucy Heartfilia**

_Yawn_… Ah, is it just me or does everything look so much more colorful today?

I stretch on my bed and check my clock. It is ten o'clock in the morning. I keep yawning. Ugh… I don't want to get up. I barely had any sleep at all last night. I spent the whole time thinking straight about Gray.

Suddenly, my cheeks flare red. That's right, Gray and I are dating now. He is going to come over to my apartment today for our first date at ten thirty-

OH SHOOT! Quickly, I scramble out of my bed and check the clock again. It's already five minutes past ten! Oh god, I have to get ready before Gray gets here!

As fast as I can, I run to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put on my makeup. After brushing, I look at the mirror to see that both of my eyes have huge eye bags underneath them. Oh great, where is my concealer! I have to hide them now! I absolutely can not allow Gray to see me with this kind of worn-out looking face-

_Ding Dong!_

Oh god… What do I do?! HE'S ALREADY HERE! I'm screwed. I'm screwed. I'm screwed!

_Ding Dong!_

_Okay. Don't panic, Lucy_, I tell myself as I take off my pajamas as fast as I can and replace them with normal casual street clothing. I quickly slip on my black skater skirt, a plain gray t-shirt, and a red plaid shirt. Since Gray is my boyfriend, I might as well show him my face without makeup. There's no point hiding my makeup-less face anyway. He's going to see it eventually.

_Ding Dong!_

"Coming!" I shout loudly.

I race down the stairs of my apartment and rapidly open the locks of the front door. Then I throw the door open. "Sorry Gray!" I exclaim, holding onto my knees as I pant. "I woke up late today-"

"It's not Gray, stupid."

Huh? I stand back up properly. My mouth opens in shock when I see who it is. "Natsu?" I say. He is standing at my front door with his goofy grin. "What are you doing here?"

Natsu messes up his salmon pink hair and shrugs. "Just here to visit," he replies. "Nothing special." He walks into my apartment without my permission, walking as if it were his own house. Is it just me, or is Natsu acting like the guy he used to be as a middle schooler? Because back then, he would always enter my apartment without my permission.

He walks into my bedroom and lays on my pink bed. He rolls around on it and then stares at the wall opposite to me. I glare at him in anger. "_Natsu,_" I say angrily. "That's _my _bed."

"Mhm," he says. Suddenly, he turns to look at me. Huh? I feel my heart skip a beat in surprise. Why is he staring at me like that? This idiot. Is he trying to make me get the wrong idea or something?!

All of the sudden, I feel a pull on my skirt. My heart beats again in fright. I look down. It is just Natsu.

"Makeup…" he says as he yawns. "You don't have any on."

"Y-Yeah," I say with a slight pout. "Is there something wrong with that?" I ask in a bit of an irritated tone of voice.

"No," Natsu replies. He lets go of my skirt and then rolls around on my bed again. He pulls my bedsheets over his head. "I just thought that you looked much cuter without it…," I heard him mumble under my sheets. His voice was quiet and a bit muffled, but I heard his words very clearly.

I could feel my face flare up with embarrassment. Geez, his words are so embarrassing that he even embarrasses me! Even though we are the only ones here… "Don't mess with me…" I mumble. "Everyone knows that a girl looks better with makeup on. It's practically a fact now…"

I quickly run to my bathroom and lock the door. I stare at the mirror. My face is all red. Geez… Natsu… How is this kind of face cuter without makeup? I practically look like a troll without it.

Quickly, I get my concealer and continue my makeup. After I am done, I walk out of my room to see Natsu, sitting at my desk with a stack of papers in his hand.

"What are you doing?" I ask, walking over to him.

"Reading," Natsu replies coolly as he crosses his legs.

Reading? Suddenly, I remember. That stack of papers is my draft version of my new story! Oh god, out of all stories he could've taken from my desk, _why _this one?!

I run over to Natsu and immediately snatch the papers out of his hands. "Don't read it!" I exclaim.

"Eh? Why?" Natsu asks, confused. "It's really good."

I wrap the stack of papers in my arms. Why out of all books… I haven't even sent it to my editor yet! And also… that book is based off of… Natsu. That book is based off my ten years of unrequited love with Natsu after he cheated on me. And how… he moved on with Lisanna.

"It's… I-It's not done yet!" I protest. "I haven't even given it a title!"

Natsu messes up his pink hair again. "That story is sad…," he says. "The main characters are Nathan and Lucy, right? The girl is named after you, right? _Lucy_."

I cringe. Shoot, did he find out?

"Hey, what's your pseudonym?" Natsu asks excitedly. "You know, your pen name. Because the way you write really resembles one of my favorite writers!"

Woah, since when did he start reading books? I am utterly shocked. Back when I used to date Natsu, he refused to read anything. He called books _boring _and _a pain in the ass_. Wow. I have to say. He changed, for the better in this part.

"My pseudonym?" I say. "It's Layla Dragoon."

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes ball out. His mouth is widen. He points to me with his finger shaking like crazy. "Y-Y-You…," he mutters. All of the sudden, he falls out of his chair and crashes into the floor. Then he stares at me again.

"W-What…?" I ask.

"_You're _Layla Dragoon?! _The _Layla Dragoon?!" he exclaims, so loud that I swore the houses from ten blocks away could still hear him. "No way! Layla Dragoon is my favorite author!"

My heart beats. Natsu is a fan of my writing?! Since when?! Wow, what a coincidence!

"Uh… Uh…" Natsu scrambles for a piece of paper. Then he gets a pen out of his pocket and hands it to me. "Please give me your autograph!" he shouts. "I have been the greatest fan of your books since senior year of high school!"

Senior year of high school…? Wait a second, that was when I first started publishing books! I wonder how he found me. I nod at him and take the paper, signing my pseudonym on it. This is kind of awkward though. I mean, I have signed books and stuff before, but never for someone I actually knew.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?" I mumble, giving the paper back to Natsu. "No one knows my identity…" I wasn't lying. In book signing events, I always wore a mask. "Don't even tell Gray, or I swear I'll-"

"I won't," Natsu grins. "It's Lucy and my secret, our little secret."

_Our little secret… _Blood rushes to my face just at the thought of it. Geez, sometimes Natsu says the most embarrassing things. If I were still in love with him, I probably would have gotten the wrong idea by now. But now Natsu is just a friend. That's right… just a friend.

"I only got to read the first chapter," Natsu says. "But, the story is very beautiful. The character, Lucy falls in love with the boy, Nathan, right?"

I silently thank myself for not naming the boy Natsu. If I did, and Natsu saw, I would've been screwed.

"But… Nathan is already getting married, huh? With his fiancee," Natsu says. "But… I think Nathan still loves Lucy."

Huh? Does he even know what he is saying?! Nathan represents him!

"Why do you say that…?" I say.

"I dunno," he says with a shrug. "Just a feeling."

Suddenly, I hear my apartment's door unlock. My heart skips a beat in surprise. I turn to see who is it.

"Hey Lucy!" It is Gray. He waves to me, then suddenly, his face contorts once he sees Natsu. "What's _he _doing here?"

Huh? The way Gray is speaking to Natsu is strange. Oh yeah… I told him that I liked Natsu… Whoops. But, he said that he wouldn't hate Natsu… so why is he speaking so meanly to him?

"I'm just here to visit," Natsu replies cooly. He sits back down on my desk, staring at the books on my shelf.

"You really do love Layla Dragoon's works, huh, Lucy?" Gray says. "Your shelf is always full of it."

"Y-Yeah," I say awkwardly. It's hard to say that I am a fan of myself. It just doesn't sound right. Then again, Gray doesn't know that I am Layla Dragoon, so I have no choice but to lie. Gray seems to be giving a triumphant smile to Natsu, as if he were saying _I know more about her than you_. But I ignore it. I'm probably just imagining things.

I look over at Natsu. He is glaring at Gray. Oh shoot, don't tell me that they got into another fight! "H-Hey! Shouldn't we get going, Gray?" I suggest. "For our date."

"Of course!" Gray says. Then, instantly, he flashes another triumphant grin at Natsu. Then he looks back at me. "Let's go to the movies now!"

Gray grabs my hand and hold it tightly. I don't know why, but as if it were my instinct, I look back at Natsu. His eyes are narrowed at Gray. I have never seen him look so angry in my life. What's wrong with him?

"Wait," Natsu suddenly says, stopping Gray and me. "It _just _so happens that I was going to the movies too! So why don't we go _together_."

"Are you trying to pick a fight, Natsu?!" Gray shouts. "You idiotic Flame Brain!"

"That's what I'm freaking here for!" Natsu argues back. "Ice Prick!"

Gray's grasp on my hand tightens. "I won't let you have _her_," he grumbles.

_Her?_ What in the world are they talking about?

"Oh?" Natsu replies in a teasing tone. "You really think you are capable of her? Soon enough I will be taking her back."

Geez! What are they talking about?! Don't tell me that this is one of their stupid arguments again! I have to do something!

"Why you! Squinty eyes!" Gray yells.

"Droopy eyes!"

"Tabasco freak!"

"Ice stripper-"

"STOP!" I yell at the top of my lungs. And at once, Gray and Natsu stop arguing and look at me obediently. Wow. That was all to stop their fight?

"You two are acting like kids now," I say. "What are you? Five? I don't know what you two are arguing about, but you should just get over it! Now!"

Gray and Natsu stand and then nod, just like children. Part of me wants to roll my eyes, but I resist. "Alright, Gray!" I say, pointing to him. "I don't get why you are so against Natsu walking with us to the cinema, but he is going to come with us! He's going to the same place anyway, so we might as well go together."

Gray stares at Natsu angrily. "Mhm, yeah, _sure_ Natsu was going to the same place. _Sure _Natsu isn't just some stalker trying to steal her from me."

_Her_… Gray used that term again. What is _her_? Some stuff animal or something? Geez, we are twenty-two for god's sake. Are they still going to argue over some kind of plushie or toy?

After we settle Gray and Natsu, the three of us begin to walk over to cinema. Over the _whole _way, Gray and Natsu would not stop calling each other names. Honestly, it is getting so annoying that even I am getting a headache. When we finally get there, Gray and I say our goodbyes to Natsu and then begin to choose a movie together. But, I can't help but think _someone _is following me. I'm probably just imagining it though.

"How about this one?" Gray suggests, pointing at an action movie's poster.

I look at it and nod. "Yeah, it looks good."

Gray takes my hand again. We walk into the showing area when suddenly, I notice someone following me. I look behind to see a guy with a white scarf. "Natsu…?" I say. What the hell? Didn't we just say goodbye to each other a few minutes ago?

Natsu puts his arms behind his head and begins to whistle innocently. "Ah! Looks like we chose the same movie to watch, ahaha!" I narrow my eyes at him. Suspicious… The way he is speaking is really suspicious. He is obviously trying to do something, like following us.

"Um… okay?" I say as my boyfriend Gray leads me to our seats. I look at my ticket. It says Seat H-6. Gray has H-5 so he is sitting next to me. Once I find my seat, I sit down and hear someone else sit beside me. Curiously, I look to see who it is. So I look to my right at seat H-7 to find Natsu grinning at me. "What?!" I say in surprise.

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu says in his sing-songy voice. "Looks like our seats are right next to each other! What a coincidence, right? Haha."

Yup, he is definitely being suspicious. He probably is trying to follow Gray to pick a fight with him.

The commercials begin to roll in and I am feeling terribly uncomfortable. Natsu and Gray keep shooting glares at each other while I am just sitting in the middle. Ugh, I hope their stupid fight ends soon.

All of the sudden, I notice two jet black eyes staring at my face. I look back at them to see that it is Natsu, staring at my eyes. Uh… did Natsu turn into some kind of freak?

"Lucy," he says, still staring at me.

"Uh… what?" I reply.

"Do you have a map?"

"What?"

"Do you have a map?" he repeats.

I look at him, confused. Why the hell does the son of a landowner (who owns practically most of the land on Tokyo) _need_ a map?! "Uh… Why?" I ask.

"Because…," he makes his signature goofy grin at me. Then he uses his hand to brush his salmon pink hair out of his face. "I got lost in your eyes."

…

Okay, something is definitely wrong with Natsu. First, he came to my house voluntarily, then he is being some kind of stalker following Gray and I around, and now he is using dumb pickup lines. Am I his practice doll for picking up girls?! I tap Gray who is still glaring at Natsu. Natsu snickers back at Gray.

"Gray!" I whisper.

"What?"

"I think we need to take Natsu to the hospital," I say in the most serious tone of voice I can use. "He has been acting strange all day."

"He's not acting strange," Gray whispers back. "He's just an idiot."

**\- End of Chapter 13 -**

Sorry that this chapter is a bit boring! I promise that the next chapter I post will have more action! ;) This one is just a little filler on how Natsu is acting.

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	14. Juvia, Heartbroken

**Natsu Dragneel**

The movie is finally over. I have a feeling that Lucy is getting suspicious of my odd behavior, so I pretend to say goodbye to Gray and Lucy and leave. Right after, I hide behind a pillar, watching them.

Dammit Lisanna! You told me that the pickup line was a total hot thing for a guy to say! She looked totally turned off by that. Ugh, now she probably thinks that I am a creeper. Great.

How do I even get Lucy back? Ugh… I don't understand girls at all. Maybe if I find Gray's weak spot or something. That's it!

Quickly, I call Gray's childhood friend, Juvia Lockser. We aren't that close, but she will definitely hear me out… I hope.

"Hello?" I hear Juvia answer.

"I need Gray's weak spots. Now," I immediately say.

"Huh? Why?" Juvia asks. "Don't tell me that you're planning another prank against Gray."

Now that I think about it… The only reasons why I usually call Juvia are when I want to prank Gray or want to fight him. "Uh… not this time."

Juvia sighs. "You know that I won't tell you any of Gray's weaknesses," she says. "Give up, Natsu. I'm always on Gray's side."

She is about to hang up when I quickly shout, "Wait! It's not like that this time!" I eye Gray and Lucy again. They are leaving, so I follow them out. I wonder what they are doing next.

"Listen Juvia," I say. "It's a long story, but you have to hear me out."

"Fine," she replies. "But hurry it up."

"Okay, so there's this girl I like," I say. "She used to be my ex, but we had to break up. But it turns out that I am still in love with her, but now she is dating Gray even though she told me that she didn't like him-"

"Hold up," Juvia suddenly interrupts me. "Are you talking about… Lucy by chance?"

Every single nerve of mine suddenly freezes. Oh shoot, how did she know?! Does she know Lucy in person or something?! Oh shoot. I'm so screwed. If she ever tells Lucy, I am screwed. "Uh… Uh…" I am speechless. I can't even deny. Oh shoot.

"Don't you already have Lisanna?!" Juvia suddenly shouts. "What the hell are you thinking?! Don't tell me that you're-"

"Lisanna isn't my fiancee anymore," I whisper. I am pretty close to Lucy and Gray. If they hear me talking, they'll know for sure that I am following them. "I told Father that I couldn't marry Lisanna, not with these half-baked feelings."

Juvia stays silent for a while. After about twenty seconds, she sighs. "Stop following them, Natsu."

Huh? How did she know that I was following them?

"Lucy texted me that you were acting strange," Juvia replies, as if she read my mind. "Anyway, following them won't change anything. Come over to my house. I need to tell you something."

Juvia isn't wrong. What's the point of following them anyway…? I glance over at Gray and Lucy again. They are laughing together, hand in hand. People who are walking past them look at them and whisper to each other about how cute of a couple they look. I can't watch this anymore. That's strange… I feel like crying.

**OoO**

I take my motorcycle to Juvia's place. I had nothing planned for today anyway, so I'll just go there. I wonder what she wants to tell me though. She could've just told me on the phone. Then again, there are a lot of things that should be told in person.

I ring her doorbell. Juvia answers the door and invites me inside. I sit on the couch as she brings me some tea. "So… what's up?" I ask.

"You shouldn't go between Gray and Lucy," she says quietly.

My eyes widen. Why is she telling _me _that? "You don't know anything," I reply. "And even if I explained, so wouldn't get how much it hurts to see someone you like dating someone else-"

Juvia slams the tea kettle on the table. I cringe in surprise. "I do!" she exclaims. She lifts her head, and to my surprise, she is crying. Tears are pouring through her eyes as if they were mini waterfalls. "I've known that feeling since I was eighteen!"

"Eighteen…?" That means… Four long years. Oh my god. What did I just say? I must have reminded her of terrible memories. "I'm so sorry…" I say. "I didn't mean to remind you… If you don't mind, may I ask who made you feel this way?"

Juvia makes a sorrowful smile. "I used to always think that… no matter how things turned out, _he _would always belong to me since we were childhood friends," she replies. "You know what I mean, right? Like those shoujo mangas. Childhood friends always ended up together no matter what. It was always a given."

She takes a cup and pours tea in it. "But… that is only fiction. Not reality," Tears begin to pour out of her eyes. "What I mean is, another girl came along… and he fell madly in love with her. Not like the little crushes he used to have in the past, a real love."

Oh god. This already does not sound good. I wonder who is this friend of hers though. I take the kettle pot from Juvia and hand her a tissue. "Thanks," she mumbles as she uses it to wipe her tears.

"No problem," I say. "Just let it out. I'm here for you."

"What was worst was… that the woman he fell in love with… was so kind," Juvia says. Tears begin to pour out of her eyes even faster. "She was so kind that I couldn't help but be her friend. And somehow, we became best friends."

Best friends with her crush's crush. I could relate. That… was actually my situation also. Gray is my best friend (if he still considers me as one), but he is dating the person I love. It's a hard situation.

"What's his name?" I ask, taking my cup of tea.

Juvia looks at me and forces a smile as I take a sip of my tea. "You know him very well, Natsu," she says. "It's… Gray."

Huh? Instantly, I spit all my tea out by accident. My eyes widen in shock. No way. She liked _Gray_? That Ice Princess? Now that I think about it, it all makes since. He is her childhood friend.

"I'm so sorry…" I mumble. "Four years of watching him in love with-" I suddenly stop. I come to realization. Gray told me that it was love at first sight for Lucy. And now he is dating Lucy. Juvia had always been suffering, watching Gray watch Lucy. I only suffered this for a single day and already I can't take it.

"Four years of this is nothing…," Juvia mutters. "Compared to Lucy's suffering."

"Lucy?" I ask. "What happened with her?"

Juvia looks at me as if I were stupid. "Do you really not know?" she asks. I look at her, confused. "Do you _really_ not know?" she repeats.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "Oh wait, I know." Suddenly, I remember. Lucy told me that she had a boyfriend a long time ago, and even after that long, she was still in love with him. However, he had already moved on a long time ago. He is probably already married by now. She didn't tell me who it was, but by the way she was crying at the time, I knew that she had those feelings for years.

"So you figured it out, huh?" Juvia says. "Guess you're not a clueless idiot after all."

Clueless idiot? Wow, was that what she thought of me all this time? What an insult.

"Lucy is finally happy now with Gray," Juvia starts. "Even though she used to have feelings for you for the past ten years, we should leave her alone-"

"Wait what," I quickly say. I can hear my blood pump through my ears. My chest is banged with a least a trillion heartbeats in that one second. Did I just hear her right? "Lucy had… feelings for me… after we broke up?"

Juvia looks at me strangely. "Wait what? I thought that you said that you knew what happened to her!" she exclaims. "Oh shoot… I revealed Lucy's secret…" she mumbles to herself. "Oh shoot. Holy crap, what have I done?"

"Wait a second," I say. "Let me get this clear." But Juvia is still mumbling to herself, so I take her shoulders and force her to stare at me in the eye. "Listen to me Juvia!" I shout. "Lucy… Did she really like me for the past ten years?!"

Juvia trembles in fright, but slowly she nods. "You have no idea… how much she cried for the past ten years because of you," she says. "So don't interfere with her relationship with Gray! Because… now she is finally happy!"

"With someone she doesn't even have feelings for?" I question. Juvia cringes when I say that. She knows that Lucy only started dating Gray to get over _me._ "Stop acting like the good guy Juvia. You're jealous, aren't you? You want Gray all for yourself, but your own best friend is in the way-"

"No!" she screams. "I'm not like you! I…"-she puts her hand over her heart-"I treasure my bonds! I wouldn't ruin my friendships with Lucy and Gray for such a petty reason!"

Does Juvia even know what she is saying? Lucy and I have mutual feelings! When Gray becomes heartbroken, Juvia can just string by and heal the brokenhearted Gray! That way, in the end, we will all be happy!

Suddenly, Juvia and I hear voices outside. We look out the window and to my surprise, it is Lucy and Gray. It looks like their date ended and now they are saying goodbye at Gray's house (which is right next to Juvia's).

"It's them…" I whisper. I am about to run to the door when Juvia pulls my arm, forcing me to stay at the window.

"Don't interfere," she whispers. She points to Lucy. "Look at her one more time. Don't you think that she looks a lot more happy now that she's with Gray? She's not crying anymore."

I watch Lucy. Her smile is so beautiful. She… really does look happy. I can feel my heart twist in jealousy. Why… can't I make her smile like that?

Lucy says goodbye to Gray and then begins to walk to back home on her own. I can't stand just watching her anymore. I have to go. Quickly, I shake off Juvia's grip on my arm and run to her doorstep.

"Wait! Natsu!" Juvia cries. "Stop!"

But ignore her and put on my shoes as fast as possible.

"Are you listening, Natsu?!" she shouts. "You know how Lucy feels whenever she's around you! All she does is cry! She'll be miserable with you!"  
"Love…," I say. "Love is not a happy feeling." I stand up after I put on my shoes. Then I put my hand over my heart, just as how Juvia did earlier. "Love is also a painful thing. It's not always supposed to make people smile, like how Lucy did. That smile was to a friend, not a lover! Friendship heals love, not the opposite. If I leave Lucy alone with Gray, she'll never be happy."

And with that, I ran out of Juvia's house and sprinted as fast as I could to Lucy.

**\- End of Chapter 14 -**

Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! From the next chapter on, things are going to be a little more hectic! Anyway, thanks so much for reading this chapter and please look forward to the next one!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	15. Natsu's Confrontation

**Lucy Heartfilia**

Today Gray brought me out for our first date. It was really fun. My heart was thumping the whole time. He brought me to the movies (where Natsu was acting freakishly stalkerish), aquarium, and a really nice cafe for lunch. As I thought, I really am the happiest when I am with Gray. Whenever I was around Natsu, I just ended up crying and getting hurt. There wasn't a point of liking him anyway.

"Lucy!"

Am I just imagining things, or did I just hear Natsu call my name? Nah, no way. He shouldn't be around here anyway.

"Lucy!"

Okay, that is definitely not my imagination. I turn around and as expected, it is Natsu. He is sprinting at my direction. I stare at him in confusion. What is _he _doing here?

He runs over to me and stops, taking a break to catch his breath. Then he looks at me. At first I think he is glaring, but then I notice that he is only narrowing his eyes to show seriousness.

"W-What?" I ask nervously.

"Are you happy?" he asks.

"What?"

"Are you happy?" he repeats.

What is with this question? "Uh… yeah?" I reply, a bit confused.

"Don't lie."

"Huh?"

He looks as me as if it were obvious. "Why are you with _him_?!" he suddenly yells, catching me by surprise. "Why Gray?!"

Wait what? What the hell is wrong with him?! Why does he suddenly sound so angry? My heart pounds in fear. "Because I like him!" I argue back. "Why else would I date him?!"

"No you don't," he says. "You told me just a few days ago that you didn't!"

Oh yeah, now that I think about it… I told him about my feelings that night without him knowing that the person I liked for ten years was _him. _He is probably just concerned for me as an ex, that's all. No special feelings.

"Feelings change," I say coolly. "It just so happens that Gray moved me with his feelings, so I fell in love with him."

Natsu stares at the ground and messes around with his pink hair. Then he looks up at me like an abandoned puppy. "What about me?"

Huh? Did I just hear that right? Nah, I'm probably just hearing things.

"What about me, Lucy?" Natsu says again.

"W-What are you saying?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat. Man, Natsu has been acting strange all day. I can't understand a word that he saying. It's like he is implying that I like him or something… Holy crap, did he find out?! I gulp. Shoot, did he figure out that I used to like him for the past ten years?! No way… right?

"I love you," he simply says. "I have loved you for the past ten years."

For a split second, I can feel myself getting caught in his trap. The whole time during those ten years, we had mutual feelings. Thinking like that made my heart's pulse increase rapidly. But quickly, I run out of it. Is he trying to make a fool out of me? He has Lisanna for god's sake! They were supposed to be getting married within a week!

"Enough with your jokes today already!" I shout. "Lisanna is-"

"Lisanna isn't my fiancee anymore," Natsu interrupts as if he read my mind. "I never loved her in the first place."

My eyes widen. I don't get it. Why was Lisanna his fiancee if he never liked her? Questions that scream for answers keep lingering in my mind.

"My family engaged me to her in freshmen year," he explains. Freshmen year was the year we broke up if memory serves right. But why is he bringing this up? I'm already dating Gray. I don't have feelings for him anymore.

"I am the future CEO of the Dragneel Estate, which makes it important for me to find a wife that would bring success to the company, which is why my parents chose Lisanna," he says. "I did go against it… but soon my parents told me that if I didn't marry Lisanna, they would use their power as landlords to kick you out of the city."

Huh? What is this? Now that I think about it, my apartment complex is owned by the Dragneel Estate, but I didn't think that it was _his _family that owned it. I mean, it was beyond imagination. Like, _this _idiot was the future CEO of that large company? That itself sounds like the scariest thing ever.

"That doesn't explain why you ignored me and cheated on me," I find myself saying. Oh my god. Me and my big mouth. Why does my mouth have to run so much? Why am I so interested in this in the first place? Natsu is just another person. Just another ordinary person, nothing special.

"I did it because I was trying to stop my feelings for you," he says, staring at the ground. "I tried my best to get over you and like Lisanna… but I ended up lying to myself. I tricked myself into thinking that I was in love with Lisanna, when truly this whole time… this _whole _ten years, I have been in love with you."

To be honest, I am feeling truly irritated. Why is he telling me this _now_? Right when I had finally moved on with Gray. Is he trying to bring me back? Back to my depressed state? No way. I don't believe him. After all that he made me go through, I can't believe him.

"Stop lying to me," I reply. "I'm sick of you and your jokes, honestly."

"Trust me!" he yells angrily. "I really do… I really do love you. Everyday, I can't stop thinking about you, Lucy! You… You're the only person I see."

"I trust_ed_ you," I say. "But now your words mean nothing to me, because your actions spoke the truth."

That's right. He _cheated _on me. Even if he still had feelings for me, I'm not going to go running back to a cheater. I love Gray. I don't love Natsu anymore. How can I believe Natsu in the first place when he has been with Lisanna all this time? Why didn't he tell me back in freshman year what he was going through instead of lying and cheating on me?

I turn to walk away, but my eyes trail back to Natsu unconsciously. His bangs are covering his face, so I can't tell what he is thinking. "Fine then…" he mutters. "Fine then!" He lifts up his face and to my surprise, he is crying. Have I ever seen Natsu cry like that before? No… I think this is my first time. But… it's not like I care. So I just continue walking away. It has nothing to do with me anyway… right?

"Fine then…" Natsu says again as I walk away. "So let's just ignore each other, try to pretend the other person doesn't exist. But deep down, we both know that it wasn't supposed to end like this." Then, I hear his footsteps run off.

What was that…? I turn around to see his broad back walking away. Suddenly, I feel a drip of water fall on my face. Then another. And soon, it seems to be pouring. I feel a drop fall into my mouth and it is salty. Salty rain? How strange.

Then I notice something. I am crying.

What is this? Why am I crying? Why does my heart feel so heavy all of the sudden?

But… Natsu's words keep lingering in my mind.

_So let's just ignore each other, try to pretend the other person doesn't exist. But deep down, we both know that it wasn't supposed to end like this._

Why do his words keep repeating in my head?

\- **End of Chapter 15 -**

Hi guys! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

**ANNOUNCEMENT:**

I am making a new one-shot! It will be a Fairy Tail fanfic. I haven't finished the summary, but it is about eighteen-year-old Lucy Heartfilia, a dying girl who longs to be normal and have a future. Ever since she was young, she was told that she wouldn't live long. But she ends up falling in love with a perfectly healthy boy, Natsu Dragneel who is quite the daring and confident boy, dying his hair bright pink: the complete opposite of insecure Lucy Heartfilia. She wishes to be with him; however, she knows that starting a relationship with no future would have no point, so she can only watch Natsu from afar.

I don't have a title for this story yet, but I will notify you guys on this fanfic when I figure things out! Thank you so much for reading and please look forward to the next chapter! ^^

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	16. Loss of Everything

**Natsu Dragneel**

It's over.

It's too late.

I can feel myself breaking into tears as I walk to my motorcycle. Of course I would get rejected. What was I thinking? Even if she liked me all these years, I made her suffer so much. But even so, I thought I still had a chance. A chance to sweep her away.

I get on my bike, turning on the engine.

"Natsu?"

I turn around, making eye contact with navy blue eyes. "Gray." I wipe my tears away, trying to hide them, but it is futile. I just can't stop crying and being frustrated.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Gray asks, approaching me.

He is my rival in this unrequited love, so I should be starting my engine to get away from him. But I stop it instead. I can't help it. Gray is still Gray. He is still my best friend.

"You beat me," I say, forcing a smile. "You got me good."

Gray raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean-" But he stops in the middle of his sentence and stares at the ground. He knows what I am talking about. I know he does.

"I'm sorry," he simply says.

I make a soft chuckle. "Why are you apologizing?" I ask. "It's not your fault. It's my own for being such a jerk about my feelings."

Gray puts his hands into fists, tightening the grip until the tips of his fingers turn white. My eyes widen when he does that. It is his habit when he is hiding something really important.

"What are you hiding?" I ask him.

Gray makes a slight grin. "I really can't hide anything from you, huh," he mumbles. He clears his throat and looks at me straight in the eye. "If I didn't interfere, she would have still been yours, Natsu."

"What do you mean?"

He squints his eyes, feeling a bit guilty. "Back at the ramen shop, I confessed to her," he says. "But she wanted to reject me because she was still in love with you. She knew it was pointless, but she couldn't help but love you anyway." Gray grips his fist as a tear pours out of his left eye. "I couldn't just watch her getting hurt over you anymore!" he exclaims. "I had to do something! So… I asked her to be my girlfriend."

I can feel a headache jabbing my head in irritation. I lift my fist, getting ready to punch Gray in the face. He doesn't react. He just stands there, waiting for my fist to make impact. Quickly, I bring it to his face, but I stop halfway. I can't do it. I just can't… because what Gray did was what any guy would do. No guy would want to watch his girl get hurt over another guy.

I take a deep breath. "It was only right that you did that," I mumble as I put down my fist. "It's only natural to take advantage of that situation. You did nothing wrong, Gray. You just wanted Lucy to be happy, right?"

Gray doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. We have known each other since middle school. We don't even need words to communicate. Just silence is fine.

I wonder if we would still be best friends after all of this.

I start the engine of my bike and then allow it to take me out of there. The tension is just too much. I feel like crying even more, damn it. First, I lose the girl I love. Now I lose my best friend over her. I lost everything.

* * *

I find myself driving to that stream Lucy told me about her feelings indirectly. I stop my bike next to the vending machines. Maybe I should get a drink.

I allow my hands to move on their own, pressing the buttons to buy a drink, but to my surprise, _two _drinks come out instead.

Huh? Why?

I take the two bottles, and my eyes widen. In one hand, I have a coke bottle. In the other, I have strawberry milk. I feel an unsettling feeling in my stomach. Strawberry milk was Lucy's favorite drink back in high school and even now. I must have been unconsciously thinking about her and bought it.

_"Don't laugh... okay?" she asked me._

_"Of course I won't," I replied_

_"So... there's this guy I liked... for many years," she explained. "He... He used to be my boyfriend. But... we broke up for... reasons. Then I saw him again recently. It turns out that he has already moved on with a new girl, while I'm still stuck heads over heels in love."_

_"Who is he?!" I shouted. "I'm going to kill him!"_

_She sighed and stared back at the stream. "You don't need to know," she muttered._

Now I know who she was talking about. She was talking about _me_. I can't believe I said that I would kill him. Now that I think about it, I do really want to give myself a punch or two for hurting Lucy so much.

I open the strawberry milk and take a sip out of it. My face twitches in disgust. Too sweet. But then I make a soft smile as I force myself to drink all of it. _Just like Lucy_.

"I knew that you would be here," I suddenly hear a voice beside me.

I look to my right and to my surprise, it is Lisanna.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"She told you about her feelings here, right?" Lisanna says. "Lucy, that is."

I shrug as I keep drinking the over-sweetened strawberry milk. I try to look like I don't care, but I suck at acting so I ultimately fail.

"I'm guessing by your actions, your confession didn't go well, did it?" she says.

"She wouldn't believe me," I say. "I don't understand why. I told her that I loved her… but she said that she couldn't trust me anymore."

Lisanna hums in understanding. "Why don't you try thinking in her perspective?"

"Huh?" I say in confusion.

"Maybe if you try thinking in her perspective, you would understand how much you have hurt her," Lisanna says. "And then you could figure out how to make her trust you again."

That sounds like the most confusing thing ever. Even though my IQ is very high, I can't understand a thing she just said. But somehow, I sort of get it. I just have to put myself in her situation, right?

I grin. "Thanks Lisanna," I say. "You're always there to help."

"Hey, no problem! That's what ex-fiancee's are for right?" she jokes.

"Psh," I say. "Yeah, sure."

"You know, I really did love you, Natsu," Lisanna confesses. "But you need to follow your heart okay?"

"I know…" I whisper. "Thanks Lisanna." My heart tightens in guilt. I know that Lisanna loves me, but she is still supporting my love. She really is too kind. I don't deserve the feelings of a girl like her.

"Hey, are you drinking that?" she says, pointing to my unopened coke bottle. I can't help but laugh. I know that she is trying to change the subject, but it is just so random compared to our serious conversation.

"Nope," I say, trying to hold my laughter. I pass the coke to her. "Take it."

Lisanna twists the cap loose and takes a sip. Then she looks at me and smiles. "That's great!" she exclaims. "You finally laughed!"

"Huh?"

She shakes her head. "Nah, it's just that I think that it's not too good to be depressed all the time. Think about the more positive things in life, okay? Like that strawberry milk that you're drinking."

"Actually, it's kind of disgusting," I laugh. "I rather drink my regular coke."

Lisanna looks at me as if I were stupid. "Then why did you buy it, _stupid_?" she laughs.

I make a soft smile as I stare at the tiny milk bottle. "It's Lucy's favorite drink, so I want to drink it."

* * *

It is getting late. Talking to Lisanna really did make me feel better.

"Hey, should I give you a ride back?" I ask.

"That would be great," Lisanna replies. "Thanks."

We get on my bike as I toss her a helmet. I begin to drive to her mansion. I am really thankful for Lisanna to be honest. Without her, I would have never realized my feelings for Lucy.

We get on the road. Even though I should be concentrating on driving my motorcycle, I can't help but think about Lucy. I try to imagine myself in her situation. If she was the one who cheated in freshman year, no doubt I would lose trust. And if I were invited to her wedding with the boy she cheated with, I would definitely cry, even if I didn't have feelings for her anymore.

I really did hurt her, didn't I…?

Man, I was such an asshole.

"Na… tsu…" I hear a tiny voice, but I ignore it. It's probably just my imagination.

"Natsu!" I hear my name again, but this time it is a scream. "WATCH OUT!"

Immediately, I stop thinking about Lucy and stare at my surroundings. There is a truck right in front of me and I am about to crash into it.

"Shoot!" I shout. I try to swerve away from the truck, but I know that I am too late. My motorcycle is going too fast. I'm going to hit it.

Suddenly, I feel a hand push me off my motorcycle, making me slam into the ground hard. I hear my bones on my ribs, legs, and arms crack, but it is nothing compared to the loud _boom_ I hear right after.

What was that? I try to stand up, but the pain from my broken bones is too much. I can't move. I can hear crackles of something burning. Smoke swells up in my eyes. The smell of gasoline fills my nose.

I open my eyes and look up.

All I see is horror.

Fire.

Blood.

White hair covered in red.

Lisanna's body, lying on the ground.

No… No… This can't be happening, right? No way. No way.

My mind feels blank. The world seems to be spinning.

"Lisanna…?"

\- **End of Chapter 16 -**

Hi guys!

Sorry for the last chapter where I ranted. I had to get it off my back, haha. Thank you for the encouraging words in reply! It really made me more confident in my writing! You guys are much too kind. I'm never going to stop writing this story until I get to the end. I feel really lucky to have such nice readers! :) Thank you so much! This story would have never happened without you supporters! ^_^

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	17. Devote My Life

**Natsu Dragneel**

"Hello?" I hear a faint voice say. "Mr. Dragneel, can you hear me?"

Who is that? I can't focus my eyes on that person. "Urgh…" I groan to let her know that I heard her.

"We are bringing you in for surgery!" the voice shouts. "You'll be okay, alright? Don't lose hope!"

Don't lose hope? What is going on? She sounds like I'm going to die or something. What even happened? I can feel my consciousness slowly disappear. I can't remember anything. All I can remember is that strong smell of gasoline and the crackling of the fire…

And Lisanna's white hair coated in red.

* * *

My eyes flutter open. All I see is a white ceiling.

"Mr. Dragneel is awake!" I hear a voice shout. "Get the doctor!"

"Natsu!" I hear a familiar voice shout.

I turn my head toward the voice. It is Gray.

"Thank god," Gray mumbles, grabbing onto my hand. His grip tightens. He seems to be crying. "I thought that you would never wake up. Thank the gods. Thank the gods."

I open my mouth to speak, but my throat is so dry. I can only grunt.

Noticing that my mouth is too dry to speak, Gray grabs a bottle of water and starts pouring it into my mouth.

I try to recollect my thoughts. Lisanna saved me from that accident. I was driving my motorcycle with her, not paying attention to the road. I was too busy thinking about Lucy to care… and then we were about to crash into a truck. Lisanna saved me last minute by pushing me off my bike, but she got caught up in the crash.

Oh god. Is Lisanna okay?!

"Lisanna!" I shout, sitting up immediately. The bottle of water Gray was pouring into my mouth spills all over my bed sheets. Pain from my rib cage disperses around my body once I sit up.

Gray immediately grabs me and forces me to lay back down. "Don't get up, stupid!" he shouts. "You're injured!"

"Lisanna!" I keep on shouting. I can't stop. "What about Lisanna? Where is Lisanna?!"

Gray ignores my questions and lays me back down. "Calm down, Natsu!" he shouts. "I'll tell you if you just be quiet!"

I try to make myself quiet. I lay down obediently. Ugh, my body feels so sore. I wonder how many bones I broke. But no matter how many I did break, it would be nothing compared to Lisanna's. She crashed directly into that truck after all.

"You had life threatening injures," Gray explains. "But thanks to that truck driver calling the ambulance right away, you got away fine." Then his face twitches. "But the problem is Lisanna…"

"Lisanna?" I ask. "How is she?!" Gray tightens the grip on his hands. He is hiding something from me again. "Tell me, Gray."

"Lisanna…," Gray says. He stares at the ground as he takes a deep breath. "She's in a coma."

"What…?" I ask, not sure if I heard him right. "Say that again."

"She's in a coma," Gray repeats. "We don't know when she'll ever wake up."

Immediately, I sit back up and try to get out of my hospital bed. But I am too weak. Gray grabs my shoulders and forces me back onto the bed.

"Are you stupid?!" he shouts. "Your legs are broken! You can't walk!"

"Lisanna!" I cry. Tears begin to pour out of my eyes. "Take me to Lisanna."

"No," Gray says. "You need to rest."

I can't stop crying. This is all my fault. If I weren't so busy thinking about Lucy, Lisanna would have never gotten into that accident. Because of me, she may never wake up ever again.

"Don't worry, Natsu," Gray says as if he read my mind. "She is still alive. We… We just don't know when she'll wake up. Lucy is with her right now."

"Lucy…," I mumble. Tears flood into my eyes, pouring out like a waterfall. My eyes burn from the amount of tears that flow. "Gray… All of this, it's my fault."

"Why do you say that?"

"While I was on my motorcycle with Lisanna, I kept thinking about Lucy… your girlfriend," I say. "I kept thinking about how I got rejected and what I did wrong. How much of an asshole I was. I wasn't paying attention to the road at all."

Gray gulps. I know that he doesn't feel comfortable whenever the topic of Lucy comes up. It's natural. We are best friends in love with the same girl. And that girl is his girlfriend.

"Gray," I say to bring his attention. "We… We still are best friends, aren't we?"

Gray makes a smile as if a huge weight has been lifted off him. "Of course," he says. "We are and will always be, no matter what."

I think about Lucy. According to Gray, she is in Lisanna's room, supervising her. I feel relieved that Lisanna is still alive, but at the same time, I still feel guilt because there was no guarantee that she would ever wake again.

"How long was I unconscious?" I ask.

"About two and a half months," Gray replies as he calls a nurse to bring in my lunch.

My eyes widen. I was out for _that _long? I think about my father. I was supposed to take the role of CEO by now! Shoot. And Lisanna… she was supposed to be starting work for her family for the first time. I really did ruin everything.

The doctor comes in to check up on my health. He says that I am fine, but I should rest in the hospital since I broke so many bones. I can't even sit up right after all.

I wonder what would have happened if Lisanna didn't push me off my motorcycle. I would have probably died from the impact of the truck. She saved my life, but exchanged it with hers.

I should have been the one lying in that bed, dead or in a coma. Not Lisanna. I mean, I was in a coma, but I was guaranteed to wake up eventually. We aren't even sure if Lisanna will ever wake. And if she ever does, I have to take responsibility for her.

"Gray, I think that I will marry Lisanna after all," I say.

Gray's eyes widen. "Wait what?" he says. "Why?"

"I am responsible for her coma," I say. "I think that it only makes sense that I support her with my life now."

Gray sits down next to me. He stays silence for a while, trying to stink my words in. "Do you really think Lisanna will be happy with this?" he asks, staring at me seriously.

I open my mouth to reply _yes_, but no sound comes out. Why am I hesitating to answer? "Lisanna still has feelings for me," I say. "So of course she'll be happy."

"Really?" Gray says. He shrugs as he puts his hands in his pockets. "I think the opposite."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, no one wants to marry one-sidedly," he replies nonchalantly.

I am confused. Isn't marriage something good as long as you love the other person? Lisanna loves me, so it's fine, right?

"Here, let me put it this way," Gray says, seeing my confused face. "Love is like a multiplayer game. You can't win with a single player. You need two players to win the game."

I still don't get Gray. He is speaking in too confusing words. A game? How is love any similar to a game?

"How about Lucy?" Gray asks. "Don't you still have feelings for her?"

_How about Lucy? _I don't know either. I would be lying if I said that I didn't have feelings for her any longer. But I can't continue loving her anyway. She doesn't belong to me anymore. She belongs to Gray, her boyfriend. I'm just an _extra _in her love story now.

I shrug. "Well, she's dating you, so I don't have a chance anyway."

That's right. I know I should move on… but honestly I can't. I can't imagine myself loving anyone but Lucy. Perhaps I'll spend the rest of my life secretely loving her, never speaking of my feelings again. I'll be married to Lisanna instead.

I will devote my life to Lisanna. It is the only way I can pay her back for saving my life.

Even though this seems to be the best way to live, why does my heart hurt so much?

**\- End of Chapter 17 -**

So some of you may be wondering why I updated twice in one day. Some of you were reviewing thinking Lisanna was dead. I felt a bit guilty for leaving a cliffhanger like that so I wrote another chapter as fast as possible! I hope you enjoyed it!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	18. Don't be the Bad Guy

**Lucy Heartfilia**

It has been three months since Natsu and Lisanna's accident. Two weeks ago, Natsu woke up from his coma. Gray has been taking care of him. I haven't visited him since. It was fine seeing him when he was unconscious, but awake? I rather stay away. The day of the accident was the same day Natsu confessed to me, telling me that he loved me for ten years.

I don't understand why he told me that right after I started dating Gray. I had finally moved on, why did he have to interfere?

I am sitting next to Lisanna who is still lying on the hospital bed in a coma. She saved Natsu's life, but in exchanged, she may never wake up. I gulp. I hope she wakes soon. She is one of my best friends. If anything more happens to her, I won't be able to take it.

Suddenly, I hear something wheel into the room. I look behind me and my eyes widen.

Natsu.

He is in a wheelchair and has casts all over his body. I can barely even see his face. Gray and a nurse are behind him, pushing his wheelchair. I can feel my heart tighten at the sight of him. Crap. I wasn't prepared to see him yet.

"Lisanna…," I hear him mutter. The nurse pushes him next to her bed. Immediately, Natsu grabs one of Lisanna's hands and holds it tight. Tears burst out of his eyes.

I watch his hands grasp Lisanna's. I can see tears rolling down his arms. "Lisanna… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Natsu looks so desperate that even I begin to cry just watching him. I can hear Gray tearing up next to me. Gray puts his arm around my shoulders and allows me to lean on his chest. I can't imagine the feelings that Natsu must be having.

Lisanna's parents walk into the room. They have sullen expressions on their face. Natsu looks up at them, still holding Lisanna's hand tight.

"Natsu," her parents say.

"I know," Natsu mutters. His bangs cover the expression on his face, but I can still see the streams of tears dripping off his chin. "I'll take responsibility for her."

Huh? What does he mean by that? I don't understand, but the tension in this room is heavy. It is almost hard to breathe.

"I'll make sure that the Dragneel Estate pays for her medical bills," Natsu says. "And I will marry her once she wakes up. I will dedicate my life to her."

My eyes widen. Did I just hear him right? Marry Lisanna? Didn't he say that he had feelings for me? Didn't he say that his happiness was to be with me? But I refrain myself from asking any questions. I have known Natsu for so long that I understand what he is doing.

He doesn't have feelings for Lisanna, but he feels responsible for her coma. Therefore, he will dedicate his life to her and marry her. He's doing this for her, and… _me._

I told him that I couldn't be with him any longer. I had Gray. So for us to completely cut ties, he must also move on. He is trying to move on with Lisanna for _everyone_. For Lisanna, her family, his family, his best friend Gray, and… _me. _None of this is for himself. He is doing this for the good of others.

You idiot, Natsu. Your happiness is important too. Why are you so selfless?

I find myself walking out of that room.

I want to cry.

I just want to cry.

I run outside and run into the hospital gardens. It is early morning, so there are only a few people. I plop myself on the grassy ground and hide my teary eyes in my knees. I can't watch Natsu anymore. Watching him hurt himself this much is hurting me too.

"Lucy," I hear a voice above me. The person sits next to me and rests his arm on my shoulders. I can tell by the arm weight that it is Gray. Why is he here?

"You haven't moved on yet, have you?" he says.

I shrug. I know who he is implying. He is talking about Natsu.

"You don't have to force yourself to date me," he says with a sigh.

I lift my head from my knees and stare at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Gray replies. "You're dating me to move on, aren't you? From your ex-boyfriend."

I cringe when he says that. He and I both know that he is not wrong. In the depths of my heart and mind, I know that I still have feelings for Natsu. I had never moved on. I just didn't want to accept it.

"I don't understand!" I exclaim. "When I am with you, I am so happy. But when I'm with Natsu, it hurts. Shouldn't it make more sense that I like you? Why do I like Natsu?! I don't understand myself, Gray!"

Gray lets go of my shoulders and puts them behind his head. He lays on the grass. "Well, love isn't always happy," he says. "I think that was what was missing. You were always happy with me. That's not love, Lucy."

I raise an eyebrow. Isn't love supposed to make people happy? Couples always are hugging and smiling. There seems to be endless happiness in love.

"Love is happiness, but also sadness," Gray says. "There will always be pain in every relationship."

I don't have any words to reply. Even though Gray sounds so wrong, I can't argue back. He is right after all. Love is painful, even if it is just the beating of the heart. I had not had any feelings like that toward Gray.

"Go to Natsu, Lucy," Gray says, messing up my hair. "Go."

I shake my head. "I can't Gray," I mutter. "Natsu is trying so hard for Lisanna's family, I can't just mess with his feelings now. He is too weak. It would be terrible of me to take advantage of his current emotional state."

"Well guess what?" Gray says, sticking out his tongue. "I'm breaking up with you, so just go to Natsu already."

I shrug and stay where I am. I just can't. It would be too cruel with me to go over there and tell Natsu my true feelings. Even if he has the same feelings for me, he has already decided his path for the future with Lisanna. I can't mess it up now. It would be horrible of me to put all of Natsu's selfless efforts down the drain.

"So you just don't want to the the _bad guy_ in this story, huh?" Gray says, as if he read my mind.

"W-What are you saying?" I ask, confused. Bad guy?

"You don't want to be the bad guy who takes the man away from the injured woman, right?"

My eyes widen. The way Gray words it is odd but he is right. I don't want to admit it, but really I just don't want to be the person who everyone despises in the storybooks. The one who steals everything selfishly.

"Yeah," I say. "So Gray… Please don't tell Natsu about my feelings."

I can tell Gray is reluctant to do so, but he puts his arm around my shoulders to make me feel better. "Okay."

All this time, Natsu has always been thinking for others.

All I have been doing is thinking selfishly for myself.

I have to let him go.

**\- End of Chapter 18 -**

Hi guys! I have been trying to update faster lately! ^_^ Sorry for the short chapter! The next one will be coming soon! Hope your day is fine~ Thank you so much for reading!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	19. A Year Later

**Lucy Heartfilia**

A year has passed since Lisanna was put in a coma. She still hasn't waken. I am twenty-five now, still in love with Natsu. But I haven't said a word to him since that day he confessed to me a year ago, the same day as his accident.

I wonder if I was just honest with myself, this would not have happened.

I am almost done with my new book that Natsu got a sneak peek in a year ago. It was based on my life, being in love with Natsu. I named the girl after me, Lucy, and the boy Nathan (Natsu). I added Gray into the story as Gary. Lisanna was Lisa. Maybe I made the names too obvious haha. Natsu is a fan of my writing after all. If he ever read the whole thing, he would know my feelings for sure.

Then again, he is too busy taking care of bedridden Lisanna, so he probably won't read it.

I still haven't written the ending though. I can't seem to find a way to end it happily. Maybe I shouldn't have based it off my life after all. There isn't a happy ending for Natsu and me. We will never be together.

I walk in my street and notice a new flower shop that has opened nearby. Maybe I should buy something for Lisanna. It has been a while since I visited her in the hospital.

Now that I think about it, Natsu is almost always beside Lisanna. I only visit her in the moments that he leaves, maybe for five minutes or so for a bathroom break. I can't bring myself to interfere with those two. Whenever I visit, I always see him holding Lisanna's hand tightly with both hands, whispering the same words over and over again. _I'm sorry_. I can't bear watching him in that state. He just looks so miserable.

I buy a colorful bouquet of flowers and head to the bus stop. The bus is a little late, but I stand there and wait anyway. I missed seeing Lisanna. Her smile and laughter. Her utmost kindness. I haven't seen those sides of her in so long. I miss it.

I sit on the bus and after about forty-five minutes of riding, I arrive at the hospital where Lisanna is currently staying. I would visit more often if I could, but this hospital is very far from where I live.

I walk inside the glass doors of the hospital. I walk to the front desk.

"Hello," the woman at the front desk says. "Are you here to visit someone?"

"Yes," I say. "I am here to see Lisanna Strauss."

The woman types into her computer at a rapid speed. Then she looks at me. "Miss Strauss is at room 301. She currently has one visitor."

I nod. "Thank you so much."

I take the elevator to the third floor and walk to the first room. I take a peek inside before going in. As expected, Natsu is in there. One of his hands is clasped onto Lisanna's right hand. I can hear his soft snores echoing in the room. He is sleeping.

Well, he isn't going to notice if I walk in, right? I take a few steps into the room and place the flowers on the table next to Lisanna's bed. Then I sit on the chair opposite to Natsu. I hold onto Lisanna's left hand.

"Hey Lisanna…," I say in a whisper so I won't wake Natsu up. "Sorry that I haven't visited in so long. I had work."

I look over at Natsu. He groans in his sleep. He mumbles something but I can't quite decipher what he is saying. Then tears fall down his face.

Is Natsu crying in his sleep?! Quickly, I let go of Lisanna's hand and grab a tissue. Then I walk over to him. He keeps mumbling words that I can't understand. Maybe he is speaking in a different language, I have no idea.

As I wipe Natsu's tears, I can feel my heartbeat accelerate. This is the closest that I have been to Natsu in a whole year.

"Lucy…," I hear him mumble.

Immediately, I stop wiping his tears. I drop the tissue as I feel something wet fall on my face. I look up at the ceiling. Is there a leak or something?

Then I touch my face. No, there isn't a leak. I'm crying.

I look at a nearby mirror. My makeup is running and I can't stop crying.

I know.

_I know_.

I still love him, but the possibility of us being together is almost zero. I should give up on him, but these feelings keep coming back. I can only keep them hidden.

I begin to walk out of the room. I should go to the bathroom and reapply my makeup. I look like a total raccoon with my running mascara.

Twenty-five year old, Lucy Heartfilia. Eleven years have passed since Natsu and my relationship in our freshmen year of high school. And I am still stupidly in love.

Really… How pathetic can I be?

I have decided a title and ending for my new book. It will be called _Ten Years_, after the long years of unrequited love. It will end as a tragedy. Yes, that is how it will end.

\- **End of Chapter 19 - **

Hi guys! This story is almost over! I can't believe it! Just about one or two more chapters!

The next chapter will be in Natsu's POV, of course! ;) I will try to write it as soon as possible!

Thank you so much for reading this story and please look forward to the next chapter! Bye!

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	20. Natsu and Lucy

**Natsu Dragneel**

I have a dream as I am sleeping Lisanna's cold hospital room. I am fourteen-years-old, back when I had no worries. Lucy is by my side, cuddling in my arms. We are sitting in a empty grassy meadow. It is just us. It is as if we were the only ones who existed in this world. Nothing could interfere with _us_. No family. No wealth or fame. Just us.

Lucy looks up at my eyes like a cute puppy and smiles. Oh god. Her smile is beautiful. Just like an angel.

Suddenly, the scenery begins to distort. Lucy disappears out of my arms as if she were smoke. _What? What's happening?_ I think as I run around the distorted scenery. "Lucy!" I scream. "Lucy!"

The dream turns black and I am suddenly hit with reality.

This will never happen.

It is only just a dream.

In my dream, I am crying. I am screaming and pulling all of my hair out. I keep yelling Lucy's name, wanting her to come back to me. But it is all futile. She has disappeared.

**OoO**

I feel something soft wipe my eyes. Gentle hands are touching my face using a tissue. These hands… feel so familiar. I open one eye halfway to see who it is. I see long blond hair and instantly close my eyes shut.

I don't even need to open my eyes to know who it is. It is _her_. She just grew her hair out this past year.

"Lucy…," my mouth mutters on its own.

Holy crap. Me and my big mouth. Did she hear me? Crap. Crap. Crap.

Suddenly, I hear her sniffle. Then I feel a salty tear drip on my face. "Ugh…," she groans. She is crying. Lucy is crying.

Oh god. Listening to her cry makes my heart tighten. Tears fall down my cheeks. She knows it. I know it too.

I love her and she loves me. But we can't be together no matter how much we want to be.

I have always heard that there are some people who are in love with each other, but can't be together. I never really understood why they couldn't be together at that time if both parties have mutual feelings. But now I get it. I understand now.

I hear Lucy's footsteps leaving the room. I sit up and watch her back, leaving the room.

I miss holding that back. Hugging her. Cuddling with her. I just miss being with _her_. Why does our relationship have to be so complicated? Why couldn't we just be born as ordinary people? Me being a son of a middle-class couple, her just being her. If we were just like that, nothing would have gone between us. We would have been a couple right now.

Why does life have to be so cruel?

I guess sometimes fate isn't by my side.

_**Three years later…**_

I am twenty-eight now. It has been fourteen-years since I have been in a relationship with Lucy, but I am still deeply in love. Now that I think about it, I was fourteen when we started dating.

I am still visiting the hospital everyday to see my _fiancee_, Lisanna. I haven't been keeping up with my favorite author, Layla Dragoon, or Lucy Heartfilia. (Layla is her pen name.) I can still remember the day that I found out that she was Layla Dragoon. I was so excited.

I heard that she published a new book last year called _Ten Years_. I don't know what it is about, but I am sure it is good. Lucy published it after all. All of her books are nice. I would read it… but if I did, I know that it would be absolutely impossible for me to get over Lucy.

I hold the unconscious Lisanna's hand tightly again. She is so slim. I wonder how many times I have held her right hand. I hope she wakes up soon.

"Ugh…," I hear her mutter right after I say that.

My eyes widen and my heart beats rapidly in shock. No way… did Lisanna just groan?

Her eyes flutter open. My mouth just opens in shock. No way. No way. Just when I was thinking about her waking up.

She groans again and puts her hand on her forehead. She looks to her right and makes eye contact with me. She squints her eyes. Then looks at me questionably. She opens her mouth to speak, but her throat is too dry to speak.

Quickly I grab a glass of water and carefully pour it down Lisanna's throat.

She coughs and slowly sits up.

"Woah!" I exclaim. "Don't sit up so fast! You just woke up!"

"N-Natsu…?" she asks, a bit confused. "Is that you?"

I nod. Tears burst out of my eyes in happiest. It has been so long since I heard her voice. I missed it.

"You… You look so different…," she mutters. "Like, you look so grownup."

"Well, you have been unconscious for four years so-"

"Wait what?" she asks. She touches her hair and her eyes widen. Of course she would be shocked. She used to have short white hair, but now it is as long as her sister Mirajane's. "Four years…?" she mutters. "What was I doing?"

"You saved my life," I say. "Remember? We were riding my motorcycle and we got in an accident."

She closes her eyes, trying to recollect her thoughts. "Oh yeah!" she exclaims. "I remember now." Immediately, she looks at me and scans my body.

"W-What?" I ask.

"You aren't injured, are you?" she asks.

Huh? Isn't she the one we should be worrying about? Lisanna really does always think about others. She should really think for herself more.

"I already healed up three years ago," I say. "I just got a few broken bones." Well, I'm not completely lying. I did have life threatening injures, but I survived it, so there isn't a need to tell her that.

"I see," she says. "And Lucy?"

I tense up at the sound of that name. I haven't heard someone say that name to me in so long. To my friends, that name was like a taboo.

"Hey, why aren't you answering me?" she questions. I can tell she is getting suspicious.

"Lisanna, you love me, don't you?" I ask.

"Huh?" she asks, confused. "Well… yeah, but how is this relevant?"

"I will stay with you then," I say. "I will dedicate my life to you."

Lisanna just stares at me. Ten seconds pass. Then twenty. Thirty. A minute.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screams.

I cringe. That was loud. My heart skips a beat in fright. Oh god, Lisanna is mad. Lisanna is mad. She is seriously so scary when she is mad. Why is she so furious?!

"I didn't save your life for you to do something stupid like this!" she screams. "Are you freaking kidding me? I have been bedridden for four whole years and you _still_ haven't made a single move on her?! You're a freaking idiot, Natsu!"

My eyes widen. This was not the reaction I was expecting. I thought that she would be happy.

"You aren't happy?" I ask.

"Of course not!" Lisanna exclaims. "I thought that we talked this over back at the river!" Suddenly, she begins to cough endlessly.

"Stupid!" I exclaim, putting my arm around her for support. "You're weak! Don't overexert yourself!"

She slaps my arm away madly. She keeps coughing, but she continues to talk. "Idiot! Don't touch me!" she yells. "You, go to Lucy, stupid idiotic freak! Don't come back to this room until you tell me that you two are back together!"

I am about to open my mouth to speak when suddenly, I hear a footstep enter the room. Lisanna and I turn around. It is my best friend, Gray.

"Uh… Sorry," he says. "I wasn't sure when to interfere."

My eyes widen. "How long have you been there?"

"Since Lisanna woke up?" Gray says.

Lisanna and I sit there awkwardly. Gray just heard our whole arguement. Man, we must have sounded like kids.

I look at Gray's hand. He is holding a book.

"What is that?" I ask as I stand up, pointing to the book.

Gray walks over to me and hands it to me. "Read it," he says. "I think if you read it, you'll understand _her _feelings more."

_Her_? I look at the book cover and I am shocked. In large bold letters, the title says _Ten Years_ by Layla Dragoon. Lucy's book.

"This is Lucy's…," I mutter as my hand gently brushes the cover.

"Read it, Natsu," Gray says. "Please… for Lucy."

**OoO**

After calming down from my argument with Lisanna, I sit on a chair in the corner of the room. I flip the cover open, beginning to read Lucy's book. It has been a while since I have read any of her works because I have been so busy looking after Lisanna, so I am a bit curious on how her writing improved.

_What does it mean to have a "happily ever after"? Do they really exist? I wish I was a princess. I too wish to have what they call a "happily ever after" just like those Disney princesses in those movies. No matter what happened, everything always worked out in the end for them. But in reality, not everything works out. Eventually everything will end… even… love._

Huh? My eyes widen and immediately I am entranced by the book. I can't take my eyes off it. It is so… strange. Just the first paragraph makes me want to cry. This isn't like Lucy. She always writes happy books. Or at least one that didn't start this depressing.

I get more and more familiar with the book as I flip the pages. This is odd.

It almost feels like it is about _me_.

_I love him. _a sentence read. _I love him so much, but we can't be together._

This story's main character is a girl named Lucy. She dated a boy when she was fourteen named Nathan. But they broke up and fell out of love when she found him cheating on her with another girl named Lisa. Then the story continues with her seeing him ten years later at a wedding. It is his wedding with the same girl that he cheated on her with. She is astonished and finds that really, she never forgot about Nathan. She is still deeply in love.

In the next chapter, the wedding place catches on fire, just like Lisanna and my wedding. Then Lucy saves Lisa from the fire.

This book is way too similar to real life. Could this be? Is this book Lucy's feelings? Her feelings when she saw me with Lisanna. The way she felt when I ignored her constant texts and calls. Is this book based on those events and feelings?

After watching _Lisa _and _Nathan_, _Lucy_ can not take these feelings any longer. She begins to date her best friend _Gary_ to get over Natsu and lies to her own feelings, saying that she is truly in love with him.

The character's names are too obvious. Gary is no doubt Gray.

Then, suddenly, _Nathan _comes over to her after her first date with _Gary_ and confesses to her, telling her that he is deeply in love with her. _Nathan_ says that he and _Lisa_ were engaged since freshmen year, but he never loved her. He tells her that he lied to himself, forcing himself to think that he no longer loved her, but _Lisa. _But now that he knew his true feelings, he stopped the engagement with _Lisa _to be with her.

But instead of being overjoyed, _Lucy _is angry. She and _Nathan_ have an argument, and _Nathan_ eventually leaves, saying _Fine then, so let's just ignore each other, try to pretend the other person doesn't exist. But deep down, we both know that it wasn't supposed to end like this._

These were the exact words that I told her four years ago. My fingers tremble as I flip to the next page. I feel like I am digging into Lucy's mind. How she thought throughout the whole time we saw each other.

The next day at three in the morning, _Lucy_ finds that _Nathan _has gotten in an accident with his ex-fiancee. Immediately she runs to the hospital to see him. She sees him in a hospital bed, lying motionless. He is covered in bandages and casts. In the beginning, she thinks that he is dead. She runs toward him crying on his bed, screaming his name.

No way, were these the things she felt when I was in that coma?

Later, she finds out that he is only unconscious. She is immediately filled with relief until she learns about how his ex-fiancee saved him. She finds out that _Lisa _is also in a coma, but had the chance of never waking again. If _Lisa _didn't save _Nathan, _he would have been dead.

The story continues with _Nathan _waking up from his coma and deciding to dedicate his life to _Lisa_, feeling responsible for her life.

_I saw that lost look in his eyes,_ the words read. _And I knew it. I knew that he knew it too. _

_We both loved each other. We both wanted to be together. But we also knew that it was impossible. Not with this accident. Not with all these circumstances. We would never cuddle. Never kiss. Never intertwine fingers with each other. _

_We would never be together._

And with that, the book ended. Slowly, I close it and put my hands over my face.

Oh god. Oh god.

I want to run to Lucy right now. Hold her in my arms and make sure she never runs from me ever again.

Wet salty tears runs down my cheeks and drip off my chin. I have never been this emotional about a book before. I have never been this sensitive, this vulnerable.

"Natsu," Gray says, slowly walking over to me. He puts his hand on my back. "Do you get it now?"

I nod, trying to wipe my embarrassing tears. I know that a grown man like me shouldn't cry. But I can't stop the tears. They are uncontrollable.

"Then go to her," Lisanna says in a strong voice. "I'll deal with my parents and make sure that they call off the engagement. If I say that I don't want it, I'm sure that they will understand!"

"Lisanna…," I say.

"So Natsu," she says with a grin. "You gotta go, kay'?"

I make a tiny smile and whisper a silent _thank you_. Then I run out of that room. I run so fast that the wind is blowing my tears dry. The nurses around me in the hall stare at me as if I were crazy, but I don't care.

I have to see Lucy.

I run out the door and jump on my motorcycle, putting on my helmet. This time I am more careful, of course, and ride as fast as the speed limit would allow me to Lucy's apartment. Nothing is going to stop me this time. Not my family. Not that accident four years ago. Not my overwhelming guilt. Nothing.

Lucy is my priority.

I stop at the door to her apartment and take a deep breath. My heart pounds as I bring my finger to press the doorbell. I am very nervous. I haven't spoken to her since the day I confessed to her. Will I stutter my words? Will I freak out once she opens that door and run away?

Well… there is only one way to figure out.

I am about to press the doorbell, when suddenly the door flies open.

My eyes widen as they make eye contact with the girl I loved since seventh grade, the one I fell for sixteen years ago.

She looks a bit older as expected. Her hair is long and her makeup is much prettier. Not that she wouldn't look good without makeup. Personally, I think that she looks better without it. Her eyes are still deep chocolate brown, like a fawn's. She just looks so much more adult-like, mature. But inside, I can tell that she is still the same Lucy I fell for sixteen years ago.

I can feel my heart rate accelerate rapidly. My body shakes in fear. It is her. It is _her. _

"Nat… su?" Lucy stammers.

\- **End of Chapter 20 -**

Hi guys! It looks like things are going towards the positive end! ^0^)/ Hope you guys enjoyed this! I will try to upload the next chapter by tomorrow! It will be the final one!

Thank you so much and see you next time ;)

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


	21. Ten Years

**Lucy Heartfilia**

It is eight p.m. I have to get to that meeting before nine! It will take at least half an hour to get there, so I only have thirty minutes to spare. Crap.

I hastily put on my heels and throw open the door. But my eyes widen when I see who is standing at the front.

My heart stops.

My body shakes.

No way. Why…? Why is he here?

He is older. His salmon pink hair is no longer messy. Instead, it is gelled back like a full grown business man. He is wearing a black dress shirt and pants with his white scaly scarf, like an adult. His sense of style really has changed since I last talked to him. He used to wear a t-shirt or tank with khakis and his scarf all the time.

"Nat… su?" I stammer in shock. I stare the the ground nervously. I can't make eye contact with him. My heart would just burst. But then I notice a book in his right hand. What is that? I take a peek at the title and my eyes widen. It is _Ten Years_, my book that I published a year ago. My first tragedy.

He stands up, straightening his back and takes a deep breath. "_All I ever wanted was to be in a world where only the two of us existed. A place where no one would interfere with us. Somewhere where it was okay to be in love,_" he says.

My eyes widen. Those words are the exact words from chapter seventeen in my book. Did he memorize it by heart? I always knew that he had an extremely high IQ, but I never knew that he could just read something and memorize it word for word.

"Lucy," he says. He extends his hand to me. "I read your book."

I open my mouth to speak but I am speechless. "H-How?" I manage to choke out. "You… book. Wh-What?" I am speaking gibberish now. I can't get my words into sentences.

"Gray gave it to me to read," Natsu says. "This book… is your feelings, right?"

I gulp. He figured me out. Should I be happy? Shocked? Scared? I seem to be a mixture of all of them. Slowly, I take the hand that he extended towards me. Then, suddenly, he pulls me into his large chest and hugs me tightly. My head fits perfectly between his chin and neck. His broad shoulders and arms wrap me into his embrace. I can feel teardrops dripping on the top of my head.

No way… Is Natsu crying?

"I won't let you go," I can hear him whisper in my ear. "I won't let you go ever again, even if you don't have feelings for me. I won't ever let you go."

My hands grasp onto his black dress shirt. I can feel his warmth pass to me. "Is this a dream?" I mutter. "Is this really you?"

Natsu holds me tighter, so tight that it hurts a bit. "Of course it isn't, stupid," he mutters. His hand on my back presses me harder against him. "I'm here. I'm right here."

"Uh…," I begin crying. My tears are soaking into his shirt. Slowly, I allow my arms to wrap myself against him. "I love you," I say. "I love you, Natsu."

Natsu loosens our hug and looks me directly into the eye. "Me too," he says as he wipes my tears off my cheeks with a finger. "I, also love you, Lucy."

And with that, he gently holds my cheek and brings his face closer to mine. He places his lips on mine. They are soft and warm… just like Natsu.

Fourteen years since our breakup as freshmens in high school. I never thought that those feelings would last even until now. Love really is a powerful, painful, and beautiful thing.

After about ten seconds, Natsu takes his lips off me and looks at me in the eye.

"I love you."

**\- End of Ten Years -**

Hi guys! I hope that you enjoyed this fanfic! Thank you so much for supporting me to the end! I really enjoyed writing this! Thank you so much for the reviews, support, and nice words that motivated me to keep going, even when there was hate! :) You guys are the best readers ever! ^0^)/

I love you guys! And once again, thank you so much for reading my story!

I am going to be starting a new fanfic soon called **A Knight's ****Vengeance**! It will be up soon, so please look forward to that. It will be action and romance (of course NALU).

Thank you so much and see you next time! :)

~ _**Metallic Snow**_


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